Secret Saviour
by Lily272
Summary: It took Seto years to find his Puppy that went missing after a traumatic event. Now he wants to help him but without Joey knowing it's him. After all Joey hates him. Or does he not? And will Joey find out? Or will things for him only get worse?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

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**Secret Saviour  
**

Chapter one

The small park in the centre of Domino lay there, peaceful and quiet. The snow had just stopped falling. The trees and bushes where covered under a thick white blanket and the lake had been frozen and was covered with snow as well as everything else. The lamps that stood to both sides of the way where shading a dime light onto the snow coved walkway, bringing a slight glitter to the snow. There where hardly any prints in the fresh snow, a few animals that had walked by already, but not many. There where no clouds in the night sky right now and the full moon and the stars were shining down on the landscape. It was a beautiful but the cold night and the time kept most people inside.

Not so the cold hearted CEO Seto Kaiba, who walked home through the park after finishing work. He was wearing a nice warm coat over his business suit. Some might say _'figures frost is his element after all his heart is frozen solid.' _But that wasn't the reason he enjoyed the walk through the winter night. It was just the end of November and his little brother had phoned him earlier that day. His new girlfriend, that went to the same college as Mokuba did, had invited him to spent Christmas with her family and Mokuba wanted to know if it would be all right with Seto. He had said "Sure, no worries. I'll be busy with work anyway, I'm happy you got something else to do." But it had been a lie. He had nothing to do and no one to spend the time with now. But he hadn't want to hold his brother back. He was growing up and should be allowed to spent Christmas with whoever he wanted to and not feel guilty for leaving his poor lonely brother behind.

Seto knew he would probably be lonely for the rest of his life. He wasn't good in socialising. He couldn't talk to anyone, unless it was in business setting. He had never been able to talk about private things to anyone but Mokuba and even with him it had been tricky at times. Seto still couldn't believe that his brother had always forgiven him his cranky behaviour and mean words, that he had sometimes even used on him. But Mokuba always had forgiven him so easily and quickly. Seto knew he was lucky to have a little brother like him and he loved him and just knew he had to do something in return and letting him spend Christmas with his girlfriend had been the best he could do. Not that he needed permission, Mokuba was 20 by now and he himself was 24, but since he had asked, he could make sure to let him think it was okay to be some place else and not worry about his big brother.

Seto thought about what he might do over Christmas. He didn't have much work to keep him occupied. After all he wanted to give his employees some time of to spend with their families. But there was always another matter that needed his attention. One that he was working on for years. A search for someone he needed to find. Seto shuddered as he thought about what had happened that faithful day about half a year after graduation. Seto had heard about part of it from Mokuba and the rest from private detectives, that where now working for him.

It still made Setos heart ache to think about what had happened. Especially since no one knew exactly what hat happened, no one but Joey. And he was missing ever since!

It had taken a week for anyone to notice what had happened back then. Yugi had been the one to notice that Joey hadn't been around at all. The others had been too caught up in their lives. Tristan had been dating Duke and Tea had already been in America, attending a dancing school. And even so Yugi had been dating Yami, he still noticed that Joey wasn't there. He used to just show up at least twice a week during the day and once a week in the evening, asking if he could spend the night since he had been in a fight and didn't want to go home and let his father see him all beaten up. And he was beaten up on such nights usually, nothing visible, not too much but he was walking funny. Holding his side in pain and limped or other things that showed his pain. A night's rest would usually help. But that week, he hadn't been there. Yugi had waited three more days but phoned every one of them. Just Joey hadn't picked up once. The day after he had walked towards Joey's place, he hadn't been there before, but Joey had told him where it was once, only that he shouldn't come over since the area was rough. Which is why Yami had insisted on coming with Yugi. Once they had arrived, no one was opening the door and Yugi had noticed a strong and sickening smell like rotten flesh. He had phoned the police and told them about his concern for his friend. They had come to the apartment Joey had shared with his dad and broken the door open. What they had found inside had been more than shocking. Seto was happy that he hadn't been there. All he knew was that Yugi had puked as soon as he had seen what was inside and Yami had a hard time calming him, the crying Yugi, down afterwards.

From the police reports Seto knew a little bit about what must have happened. The half decomposed body that had made Yugi so sick and that had been beyond recognition but had hair of the same colour as Joey's, which must have been part of the reason why Yugi had been so shocked. But it hadn't been Joey, it had been his father lying on the floor with a long sharp knife jammed through his opened mouth into his skull. The finger prints and reports of neighbours had given some clue about what had happened there. Joey hadn't been in just any fight when he ran to Yugi, he had been abused by his father. No one knew to what degree but there had been screaming and shouting every day and about once a week it would be louder than usually and crying and begging from Joey for ending it one way or another. No one had said anything out of fear for the older Wheeler. There had been two types of blood on the knife. One must have been Joey's, a test proved it to be of a son of the dead Mr. Wheeler and there was the same blood and a bit of skin under the men's nails. He had fought with Joey shortly before his death. And the finger prints had proven that it wasn't Joey, who held the knife, but his father himself and that Joey must have shoved the knife that had been in his fathers hand into his mouth, trying to push him away.

The police had started to look for Joey, not to charge him as it was looked at as self defence. But there was the inheritance. Or rather the depth that his father had left for Joey. But the police had never found him and started to wonder if it had been the way they thought or maybe his father had killed Joey and had his body hidden before the guild had taken over and forced him to suicide. He didn't seem like the type to kill himself out of guilt and so the police continued the search for Joey among the living, rather than a body that might have been dumped some place.

The police wasn't the only ones looking. Seto had started the search too and unlike the police who by now didn't really look any more, he was still on the missing persons list but no one of the police would probably recognise him in the streets. There where too many missing people out there and to them Joey was just one of many. But not to Seto. He had 20 private detectives looking for him and he phoned them all at least once a week. But they never had much news. Sometimes there was a lead, a small hope but it would just lead them to a death end. But Seto refused to give up. Even so, not one person apart from the detectives knew that he was looking. Not even Mokuba knew that. But he was. And the reason for that was simple. Seto had been in love with Joey ever since he had seen him for the first time.

Seto had never told Joey, since he just didn't know how. And he had started fights to get his attention. Even Seto had known that it would only keep Joey from ever falling in love with him but he didn't believe he would ever have a chance in the first place. After all Seto was intelligent and very good with science numbers as well as statistics. And considering the statistics about how many teenage boys are gay and how many people all together are superficial enough to date a socially incompetent but very powerfull rich guy for the power and money, he calculated his chances of under 1 percent. Considering the fact that Joey seemed to be more likely to not be one of the superficial people, he reduced it of under 0.1 percent that Joey would ever consider dating him. But after what had happened to Joey now, he just had to do something to find and help him even so he had no idea of what to do if he did find him. Seto knew that Joey hated him and for a good reason, considering all the fights they had been in and he wasn't likely to just take money from someone he hated and there wasn't much else Seto could do.

Seto knew that Yami and Yugi also hadn't forgotten about their friend and none of the others had either. They would talk about it sometimes and all of them would go for walks through the rougher areas in the hope of just stumbling over him, unlikely as it was in a big city like Domino. But they went on with their life's and so did Seto. Wondering what had happened to the young beautiful blond. How his life had been in high school and why he had never said anything. And hating themselves for never noticing and helping him out of the hell he had for a home. Seto was beating himself up as well. He had fought with Joey all this time, calling him worthless not knowing what his father had done to him and how much hearing things like that in school might have damaged his already unstable emotional well-being, if it could be called "well-being" at all.

Seto started to remember all the times he had fought with him and how cute he had thought Joey to be when he got all feisty about the dog comments. Seto might feel guilty for them now, but he still couldn't help but love the reaction he had gotten for them at the time. But that wasn't all he loved about Joey. He loved his smile, even if he never was the one who got it. He loved the way his eyes would shine and the happy expression he would get for even the smallest things like some free food. But then again who knew how much he had gotten from his abusive father. He also loved how protective and caring he was about his friends and little sister Serenity. This part of who he was, must have been the reason he had never done anything to get away from his abusive father. He loved him, no matter what. He was his father and Joey had loved him. And still it looked like he had killed him in the end. It was self defence so he hadn't want to do it, which only made it worse. He had not only been abused by a father he had still loved, he had also killed him in self defence most likely by accident even. It must hurt Joey to live with that. And since he was all alone now, he didn't even have help to get over it. Seto wondered what his golden haired puppy might be doing right now, somewhere under the same sky with the moon and the stars shining down on him.

Seto looked up at the sky, standing at the gate of the park, as his phoned rang. He sighed, he was pleased to be interrupted. He always had to think of his puppy if there wasn't anything to keep his mind off it. And no matter what he was thinking about, he would usually end up thinking about him anyway. Every thought would eventually lead him to Joey.

Now Seto looked at his phone, Ed was standing on the display. Seto wondered. Ed was one of the private detectives that worked for him and were looking for Joey but even if there had been a lead they hadn't believed it to be strong enough to phone him during the day time, let alone at past 11 at night, Seto was always the one to phone to stay in the loop as well as driving them on. He picked up, hoping for some god news about Joey. For the first time in years there seemed to be something going on.

"What is it?" Seto asked without wasting time with a polite greeting.

"Mr. Kaiba, I think I´ve found Mr. Wheeler." the voice on the other end said.

"What do you mean you think? Have you found him or not and if yes, where?"

"I found someone that lives under a false name and has no papers. I could trace his history back till about two months after Mr. Joseph Wheelers disappearance and he looks like the man you're looking for. The hair has changed and he has aged of course, but I think it's him."

"Where is he right now? I'm coming to see for myself."

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	2. Chapter 2

Special thanks to mednin for the review.

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**Chapter two**

It took Seto 40 minutes to get to the street the detective had given him. He was in his limousine by now, looking around the street. Worrying once again what his Puppy's life had been like in the last couple of years. Seto was happy for the dark windows in his limousine. More happy than he had ever been before, since this street was in a rough area but still, posh cars would come through here quite often. The street was, like the park, covered in snow but it didn't look as fresh any more since this place had just come to life. The street hat a few pubs and some cheap motels on it as well as two liqueur stores. And the women and few men standing on both sides weren't exactly dressed right for the weather condition. Most of the women where still young, between 18 and 15 years tops, a few over the mean in the same age but by far less of them. The women had some short skirts and sleeveless tops that usually showed off the bellybutton. The guys where overly looking very cliché gay, with tight leather pants and tight sleeveless shirts on. As soon as his long limousine went into the street the driver had to slow down, all the women and guys standing on the sides were approaching the back window, trying desperately to get the attention of whoever was inside.

Seto was looking at the faces of the male whores standing around, begging not to find Joey's, as Ed approached his limousine, sending the others away with the information that he had a business meeting of another kind than they where hoping for and that they would have to leave. As soon as he was inside, Seto said "I can't see him. There isn't even one that looks remotely like him." Seto was pleased that he hadn't seen Joey here in this place but he had hoped to see him and having been disturbed and gotten his hope up for nothing was not something the cold CEO had ever ignored.

"He left with a man about half a hour ago and should be back in another 30 minutes, a bit longer maybe."

"Why didn't you stop him?"

"Didn't know how or if I should. I'm not even a hundred percent sure it's the one you're looking for, Mr. Kaiba."

Seto stared daggers at him but then said "Fine, I'll wait until you see him." Seto waited, staring daggers straight ahead or occasionally out the window to some of the people that took one of the other guys that were selling their body on that night. He hated every single one of them and couldn't help but wonder how many of them had maybe used Joey's body in exchange for money. He couldn't even help but thinking about the possibility of just paying him to stay with him completely and play his boyfriend for money. He wondered how much Joey would ask for that? He would even double that. But then again, Joey had been through so much, he deserved happiness and wouldn't be able to find that with him paying him for pretending feelings that never could be real. And no matter how much he wanted it, Joey's well-being was more important than his own desires.

Still he couldn't help but imagining what it might be like to come home from work and have Joey there in his bed, waiting for him. Sleeping already but waking up when he gets into bed with him. How he might look at him with a sleepy expression but cuddling up on him and telling him how much he had missed him and that he should come home early every now and then so they could spend time together. Onl the thought of holding him in his arms, promising him to take him on a date to make up for the little time he had, made Seto's expression softer and brought a little smile to his lips. He could steal a kiss or two from those soft looking lips before holding him tighter and sleeping with his puppy in his arms.

He imagined how it would be like to wake up with his Puppy in his arms, watching him sleep for a little while and waiting for him to wake up, so he could steal a kiss again and cuddle closer. How it might be to talk about something before standing up and getting dressed with his puppy, watching his body move around his own bedroom and getting dressed in designer clothes he had bought for him. And then to go and have breakfast with him. Seto wondered if he would moan about him reading the newspaper instead of talking more, like Mokuba had used to do.

Seto kept imagining such small things in life he could share with Joey, if he would be his boyfriend but not wanting them to be fake at the same time, so he could never let him do it for money. He wanted them to be real if at all. But it was the first time Seto imagined them at all, since he had never had the possibility of being with Joey at all. And it was perfect in his imagination. Even the fights where perfect. He loved to imagine his Puppy being mad about him working too much and not having time. Or just fighting about small things, things like leaving the cap of the toothpaste off or squeezing it from the middle. Seto longed for this simple things more than for just sex.

But after he kept imagining the little things that would make him happy, he couldn't help but wonder how it might feel to have Joey's hands roaming over his body after a romantic date. How it would be to get undressed by Joey and being kissed by him all over his body, and to do the same to him. Touching his body, kissing him everywhere.

Seto tried to stop such thoughts, he had to help Joey not use him like the other guys here might have done. If the guy Ed had found really was Joey, he had to come up with a plan in case it was. He needed information on what Joey would need. Money was the first thing, he was obviously desperate or he would not sell his body.

"Tell me everything about the guy that might be Joey." Seto ordered Ed.

"He calls himself Katsuya Jonouchi and lives in a small apartment in an run down apartment block for the last 4 years. The apartment is meant for one person but he is sharing with another guy that is here as well," Ed pointed to a guy that stood a little down the street, he was wearing black leather pants and a red silk button up shirt that had the top buttons open. He had brown curly hair. He looked very skinny and Seto couldn't tell what eye colour he might have. He was too far down the road and the light was too dim. "His name is Kai, a runaway from an orphanage. Beforehand Katsuya lived on the streets for a while and had been seen a few times by some people and had been here for a while, before he had the apartment with Kai. The first thing I could find about Katsuya is two months after the disappearance of Joey Wheeler and the person that had seen Katsuya recognised him from a picture of Joey. And once you´ve seen him, Mr. Kaiba, I'm confident you will believe them to be the same person, too."

"Anything else?"

"No he doesn't do much during the day and at night he 'works' here."

"What has he done before he ended up here?"

"Begging most of the time. But he didn't have much."

Seto wondered why he had never gone to Yugi's, had it been pride or fear of the police he had changed his name, so maybe he blamed himself so much for his fathers death that he feared the police. And Joey would have known that Yugi's place would have been one of the first where they would have suspected him. The police had checked all of his friends places. Hell, they even had been at the Kaiba mansion to ask if he or his brother had seen Joey. But by then Seto had already known Mokuba had heard from Yugi and Seto had already started the search.

Now Seto was sitting in his limousine and planning. What could he do for this Katsuya if he really was Joey, and Ed seemed to be very certain of that. He needed money, that would be easy, he already had been at an ATM on his way here, expecting that Joey would need some. He had plenty in cash with him to keep Joey going for at least a month. He might also need a better place to stay, for this night he might organise him a hotel room, a good one of course and he could get him a good apartment. One that was big enough and with good security and everything he might need, like TV and some gaming systems. Seto wondered for a moment if Joey could cook for himself or if he would need help with that. He could always make sure he had enough money for take out. The real problam was how to give it to him? If it had been pride that kept him from going to Yugi, then Seto knew that he himself was the last person Joey would take anything from. And even if it had been fear, Joey still hated him for a good reason. He had been mean to him and fought with him more often than not.

_But what if he doesn't know it's me? What if I keep it a secret who is giving him all these gifts? Joey surely wouldn't think it could be me, he thinks I hate him just as much as he hates me, so he would rather think that the secret rich saviour was someone that had seen him during a tournament on TV rather than me._ Seto thought. The only thing left, was to organise how to give him everything he needed without letting him know. Seto would need a spokesperson, someone to present it and who would not tell Joey anything.

Before he could finish that thought Seto saw someone coming around the corner. And that someone was unmistakably Joey Wheeler. Seto was certain, the golden blond haired and honey eyed man couldn't be anyone else. Seto watched him, dressed in a tight pair of jeans and sleeveless white shirt walking towards Kai. The jeans had a few rips in it and together with the wild mess of blond hair it gave Joey a wild look. Seto saw how Joey gave Kai a weak smile and pointed towards his limousine. Probably asking what such a car was doing there and why it wasn't swarmed by anyone anymore. The two talked for a moment and Seto just watched. He could feel Ed's eyes on him and after a moment he said "You´ll get the money for finding him, good job. But I have another one for you that will pay good as long as you play by the rules."

"What job and what rules?"

"I need to get in touch with Joey, but I don't want him to know it's me. He doesn't think too much of me and wouldn't except it, I assume. I need someone as a spokesperson and I think as long as you can keep your mouth shut about my identity, you would be perfect. I can't use any of my other employees since Joey saw a few of them and I can't risk him finding out. I'll pay 2000 a month as long as you go to him and talk to him whenever I need you to."

"Okay, that sounds like a good deal to me."

"Good, then go over to him and take him to the four seasons hotel. I'll have a room ready by the time you get there. Take a cab to get there, I'll order one and send it here. Tell Joey nothing on the way, not until you get there. Once there, tell him that you had been paid to look for Joey Wheeler and believe him found. Make sure he doesn't get away, in case he tries explain everything you need to but do not tell him my name. Just that I want to stay secret. I will get a letter to him as well and if he has any more questions, phone me. If not leave your number in case he needs anything. Got that?"

"Sure, no problem."

Seto gave Ed most of the cash he had with him. "To get him to the hotel, just tell him that you'll pay him for the rest of the night, no matter how much."

Ed left the limousine and went over to Joey. Seto watched him until he was there and saw how Ed gave Joey the money. Than he ordered a cab for them and left for the hotel.

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	3. Chapter 2 Kai POV

**For bibbiesparks, hope you like this chapter**

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Chapter two, Kai's POV

_WOW get a load of that limousine, whoever is in there must be loaded big time _Kai thought as a black limousine with tainted windows appeared. It wasn't like posh cars were rare, on the contrary there would be one at least once a night but not like THAT one. A nice BMW, maybe one or two porsche or ferraries but a nice black huge limousine might appear once a month top. He was moving towards it like everyone else in the street, no wonder they where all hookers. Not that he could talk bad about it, he was one of them after all. Kai hadn't even reached it as he saw another dude going towards it and going in after telling the rest something. Kai asked someone what that had been about and the woman just had said "They´re having a 'meeting', a different one he claims, but who knows, ok I admit he's not dressed like one of us but you never know." Kai believed the claim since he had seen that one before, asking a truck load of questions and Kai hadn't liked it. He had been asking too many questions about his little Katsuya. Well, he wasn't really his, not yet anyway, but Kai was working on it. And he wouldn't give up easily, even if Katsuya still had a crush on an old school friend, whoever that might have been. He didn't like talking about school or family, once when Kai had told him that his parents had died in a car accident when he was just about 5 years old, Katsuya had nearly cried.

Sometimes Kai was wondering what exactly had happened to his blond room-mate, but he had given up asking a long time ago. Now he was wondering if that dude was looking for him, because of whatever was in his past. He would have to keep an eye on Katsuya, he didn't want someone else to steal him away. It wouldn't be easy for them, since they were already living together, but there must be a lot out there that want him, after all he was cute and hot and just so adorable. Probably even cuter than the first guy Kai had ever had a crush on and that guy was totally out of his reach, now more then ever. After all he was just a hooker back then as he had gotten a job in Kaiba corp. that was something different, some dude that had picked him up in exactly this street and offered him a job as his secretary. But all he had wanted was a guy to fuck, whenever he wanted and for free. As an employee, Kaiba corp. payed for him and not that idiot. Kai had tried to refuse but got threatened to be fired, in the end he was trying to hide from him by coming in late and going for toilet breaks whenever he knew the man had enough time for a quick round. And that got him fired in the end anyway, but he hadn't minded too much. He was basically still on the same level than before, just now he could choose when and who he worked for. The only bad thing was, he had less chances with his first crush, Seto Kaiba. He had always admired him during his time there. He was just too cool to be true. But the upside was, he had meet Katsuya, who hadn't been there before but was when he was back in the street. And Kai had talked him into moving together very fast, Katsuya had lived in a dump and he had gotten a decent place since he had a regular payment during his work for Kaiba corp. and that always helped in getting a good place, and together they could afford it and it had a couch they could use, until he might get him to sleep in the same bed with him, which so far he hadn't succeeded in.

He could still remember the first time when he had seen him, so cute and sexy and at the same time wild. His eyes made him cute, these big honey eyes that always looked so lost and were just begging for help. And the hair and clothes were wild and messy. The combination made him look like a lost Puppy that had no home and was in desperate need of a caretaker. Once Kai had called him Puppy, but it had been a mistake. He had lost all colour in his face and mumbled for over an hour "I'm not a dog", with tears running down his face. No matter what Kai had said or done afterwards, he hadn't stopped until he had fallen asleep, still with tears in his eyes and still mumbling "I'm not a dog" every once in a while in his sleep. He had never dared again and was wondering who might have hurt Katsuya's feelings with dog comments so badly that one little "Puppy" would tick him off like that. Kai hadn't dared to ask him that or anything else about that topic.

Kai looked around. The limousine was still there, he wondered what was going on inside and who was with that funny dude that had asked all the questions. He had asked about Katsuya but also about some dude called Joey Wheeler, whoever that might have been. Katsuya had seen him once and even talked to him. But he was always looking worried towards him, like he was about to find out some dreadful secret that shouldn't be found out. Kai just hoped that the car was not a bad sign but he feared it was.

Kai looked at the time, Katsuya would be back soon and the car was still there. He was thinking about going into the direction he had left, maybe he could warn his cute room-mate / hopefully future boyfriend. After all, if Seto was still way out of reach, he had to at least make sure that Katsuya stayed. He didn't want to lose a chance with him too, not when he just started to maybe get a chance as he was talking less and less about his high school crush. He was hardly talking about that dude at all. Not that he ever had said much about him, he just had mentioned him all the time, wondering what HE has been up to or what HE would be doing right now and if HE was okay or if HE would need help or that HE was so cool and HE was so hansom and HE was so different from all the others. But sometimes he said HE was a jerk and an asshole and a dick too and Kai had loved that occasions. Katsuya also very often said how bad they had fought and how much HE hat hated him, and as much as Kai was happy that they weren't a couple as much he felt sorry for him. It already was hard for him to have loved Seto and never really being noticed and not with Katsuya but at least they were friends and he had a bit of hope. That made it easier, but to be hated by the guy you love must be worse than being ignored. As long as your being ignored you can hope that he will love you, once he sees you. But if he hates you than it is all over.

In that moment Katsuya came back. Kai looked over to the limousine but nothing happened yet.

"What's that and why is no one over there?" Katsuya asked and pointed over to the limousine with a weak smile. Kai knew how much he hated doing what they did, but he had not much of a choice, much like himself.

"I'm a bit worried that it's trouble. The dude that asked the questions about you is in there having a meeting with someone. I don't know why or what it is about."

"Was there any police here with him?"

"Why would there be?" Kai asked, getting more and more worried. Katsuya couldn't be in trouble with the police, could he? He was so gentle and caring and just friendly to everyone. He just couldn't have done anything bad, maybe stole a bit of food once at the start, before he had done what he did now but nothing big, he just couldn't be capable of hurting someone.

"It's nothing, just checking." Katsuya said and Kai did not like the worried look on his face. But he started to scan the street, it was a quiet night and no one was there, so he just stood there waiting. Until the door of the limousine opened and the guy came out again, just him and no one else. He came over towards them and Kai could see the nervous look on Katsuyas face.

"Hi Katsuya, I'm Ed we talked before.. I don't know if you remember, I need to talk to you again, this time in private and I'm willing to pay you for the rest of the night to do so, just talking, like I said.

Kai watched and listened, ready to attack the guy on the first hint of Katsuya needing to get away from him. He wouldn't let him get hurt.

"How much would you pay? And what do you want to talk about?"

"My boss wants to help you get out of this, he really means well and I'll pay lets say 500? That should be more than you usually make and I can leave a card with my address with your friend here" he pointed at Kai "And if you're not back, lets say by tomorrow evening, than he can phone the police. I guarantie that nothing bad will happen to you, Katsuya."

Kai could see Katsuya thinking about it. There was a risk, the card might be wrong but he already handed it over and it said he was a private detective and it would match with the way he had behaved, and if that was true he would be save enough. He must have come to the same conclusion and said "Okay, but I want the money first."

"Okay" the man said and handed over the money. Right after that the limousine drove off like it was a signal to whoever was inside. "A cab will be here shortly to take us to the four seasons hotel and a room will be ready for us to talk." After that he waited in silence, Katsuya asked once who payed him but he just said "Not now please, we can talk later."

The cap took a while to arrive and Kai looked after them until he couldn't see him any more and prayed that he would see Katsuya on the next evening, save and sound. There was always a risk in this business, you never knew if whoever just bought you was normal or a psycho that would kill you. It happened before to others, not often but it could happen and you would never know until it's too late. And at least the guy knew, that Kai knew how he looked and could describe him to the police. So Katsuya should be save, or at least he hoped he was.

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	4. Chapter 3

Spacial thanks to SpiritofLove961 for the review

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**Chapter three**

On the way to the hotel Seto kept on planning his "Secret Saviour"- plan. Project SS as he would name it, so Mokuba wouldn't find out anything if he ever was home and overheard him on the phone. It wasn't likely as he hadn't been home much, since he had met his girlfriend in college. But still Seto always thought better save than sorry. He wanted to make absolutely sure that Joey would get all the help he needed and more. And for that he needed to stay secret, so Joey would not refuse. First he wrote a letter to Joey that he would leave in the hotel room.

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Dear Joey.

I hope you will except the help I intend on giving you. I know that you have been trough a lot of bad times and I want to make the coming ones better and easier for you. I want that, because I really like you. To be honest, I fell in love with you the first time I saw you. I watched every duel of you that was on TV.  
I promise you that I will always be there for you and protect you as good as I can for as long as you let me and I expect nothing in return, nothing but for you to be happy. If you ever need anything, please let Ed know about it and he will inform me and you will get it, no matter what it is. But I can't let you know my name for different reasons. One of them is that I don't want you to feel like you owe me anything and as long as you don't know who I am, you can't do anything to make it up to me and that's exactly how I want it to be. Also, I don't think that you could like me, so I don't want you to know who I am, I'm a bit shy. Please just be happy and live your life again.  
If you want, I will not let anyone know who you really are and pretend that you are Katsuya Jonouchi, even so I know that your true name is Joseph Wheeler, but there really is no reason. The police is only looking for you to make sure that you are still alive and the deduction about your father having died by you in self defence was right, you are not charged with anything and the deeped you had inherited is payed by me already.  
You have been hiding for so long that I had almost given up hope of ever finding you, even so I would never have stopped trying. And like I said before, if you ever need anything, let me know. I will organise you a better place to stay as well as plenty of money, so you will never have to work again. I want you to be able to spend all your time in a way that will make you happy. I don't know if you can or like to cook or rather have a personal chef or regular take out, please let me know so I can organise for whatever makes you happy.

In everlasting love,

XXX

* * *

Seto read trough the letter about 4 times to make sure it didn't sound too much like him. He hadn't lied in it, even so he had made it sound like he knew him from TV, after all he had seen the tournaments he had been in, they had been broadcasted and he had organised them and or had been in them. Still it didn't seem to be enough to just leave a letter. But what else could he do, if he didn't want to be found out?

Seto pulled his phone out and called his right hand man, Roland.

"Get to the four seasons, I need to listen in on a conversation and I need to be able to tell one of the people in the room some things. Can you organise that for me?" Seto asked as soon as Roland had answered his phone.

"Of course boss. I'm on my way."

"Hurry, we don't have much time." And with that Seto dropped the call and focused on what he had to do. He would have to get Joey a phone as well. He always had a few spare ones that he hadn't used yet, for emergencies so no one knew the numbers of them. He got one of them out of his brief case and saved the numbers of Yugi, Yami, Tristan, Tea, Duke and the rest of the geek squat, Joey might want to phone them so he would need the numbers. Who knew if the little Puppy could still remember the numbers, so it was better to play it save and give it to him and this way he wouldn't embarrass him by assuming he didn't know, he just already had them. It saved him the time of programming them into the phone. Seto also added Ed's number into the phonebook.

As soon as he arrived at the posh hotel, he went to the front desk and said: "I need two suites. One for one night, the other for a week. Next to each other, please. The one for a night will be on my name, Seto Kaiba, and the other on the name... Katsuya Jonouchi. While the woman on the reception desk looked at her computer, Seto took out his phone and sent a text to Ed, telling him on what name the room was booked for and asked how much longer he had to prepare everything, before he would arrive with Joey?

"How many keycards would you need for the room?"

"One keycard for the room for one night and two for the others, but I´ll only take one now, the other will be picked up by Katsuya and Ed, a friend that will be here for a moment. I also want that food will be brought to Mr. Jonouchi's room for the whole week. I'll let you know at what times later."

"Of course Mr. Kaiba. Anything else I can do for you?"

"Yes, two things actually. Mr. Jonouchi is not to find out that I'm the one paying for the room or that I have anything to do with it. If he asks, Ed got the room. Understood? And second, if Mr. Jonouchi needs anything at all, make sure he gets it. I will leave my creditcard before I check out tomorrow morning and pick it up again after Mr. Jonouchi leaves. If he doesn't find out that I had nothing to do with this arrangement, then this hotel and everyone working here will get a BIG bonus, understood?"

"Of course, Mr. Kaiba. Mr. Jonouchi will not hear anything from us."

Seto could see the confused look in the woman's eyes but ignored it, all that mattered was that they wouldn't say a thing to Joey if he asked. Seto got the keycards for the two rooms as Roland walked through the doors. Seto went right up with him and they set everything up so Seto could listen in on everything from the room next door. One of the microphones used for that were visible and also an ear piece was left behind on the table with a note for Ed to use it, since it would be easier than using the mobile phones. After that was done, Seto went into his own room and sent Roland away.

Seto got more and more nervous. It wouldn't be long any more till Joey would be in the room next door and all he could do now was hope that he would let him help him, without knowing who he was. He hoped the letter would be enough for him and he wouldn't have to say too much more. Ed knew what needed to be done, and he was better with social interaction. After all, everyone was better with that than Seto and he knew that.

It didn't take much longer until Seto could hear that someone entered the suite next to his own. He had a ear piece himself, over which he could hear everything that went on in the other room. He wished he could see them as well but didn't want to have a web cam in there, since Joey would use that room for a week he hoped and than it would just go too far into his privacy.

"What's that?" Seto could feel his heart rate double at the sound of Joey's voice he had missed for so long. Seto wanted to see him again to know what he meant. The microphone and ear piece or the letter with his true name on it and a mobile phone.

"That is a letter for you and I assume the phone is, too. And this is, so that someone else can listen in on what's going on here and give me information I might need... like if the phone is for you, but I'm relatively certain."

"It is." Seto said hoping the ear piece was already in place.

"Okay, it is for you, just got it confirmed."

"Why is Joey Wheeler standing on the letter? I'm Katsuya."

"We know who you really are, there is no reason to lie and you don't need to worry about our knowledge."

"Who is our? Who is listening in?"

"My boss. Please just read the letter first, it might explain some of the questions."

Seto heard how the letter was being opened and unfolded. Then it was quiet. It was quiet for long, so long that Joey could have read the letter at least ten times, over and over again. Seto wondered what was taking him that long to respond. He got more and more nervous and wished he had put cameras up in that room.

"Who is that dude?" Seto finally heard Joey ask.

"I can not tell you his name, only that he was looking for you for quite some time and has a great deal of money to support you easily."

"Who is he?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"If I do, I´ll lose 2000 bucks of easy money a month."

"Great and what am I supposed to do now?"

"For once, you can stay the night and have a bit of comfort and on top of that I have this money he gave me, to get you here."

"The room is payed for a week, food included and I'm going to get him his own place afterwards." Seto quickly said into his mic.

"Let me correct myself, you can spend the whole week here and food is payed for, as well my boss will look for an apartment for after that." Ed said.

"I have a place." Joey said.

"We know, but I think my boss would like you to live with a little bit more comfort."

"I like my place."

"I'm sure you would like a new one, too. Or is there a reason you don't want to move?"

It was quiet for a moment and then Joey said "I don't want to let Kai down, he has helped me a lot and is a good friend of mine by now."

"I'll pay for the apartment they share and make sure Kai has plenty of money for food, clothes and then some. And of course they can see each other whenever Joey wishes."

Ed repeated that offer and Joey said "What would happen if I get a boyfriend? In this letter is standing that this boss of yours is in love with me, I doubt he would like that!"

"I love him but I know he doesn't return those feelings and I want him to be happy, and if someone else can make him happy, then I will learn to live with that. And of course continue to support him financially for as long as he needs me to, even if I would have to support his 'boyfriend' too."

Seto was starting to worry that Joey had a love affair with this Kai character and that that was the reason he wanted to have all these questions answered. If that was the case, he still would have to help Joey. He loved him no matter what and wanted Joey to be happy and Seto had always known that he couldn't make him happy on an emotional basis, he was just not able to talk to people or let them close. All he could do for the love of his life was to make sure that he had everything he could get for money. And let him find the rest on his own, without any interference from him.

Ed told Joey what he had said and it was quiet for a moment again and then Joey said "Kai won't except it like that, but if your boss is so rich and all, he might be able to get him his old job back or a similar one at least."

"What was his job?" Ed asked without a comment from Seto being necessary.

"As a secretary for Seto Kaiba in Kaiba Corp."

_WHAT?_ Seto thought. _How could that be? I don't think I have ever seen or heard of that Kai. _Seto was worried, had Joey caught up and assumed him to be the one behind it and this was a test or had he simply forgotten about Kai? He did have a rather high usage of secretaries, since he really wasn't the easy going kind of boss, or hat Kai lied to Joey? If he had, what was his big secret. Either way there was just one way out of this if he didn't want to be found out.

"Tell Joey I will talk to the CEO of Kaiba Corp. and see what I can do, but I can't promise that he will get the same job. But maybe a similar one somewhere else."

Ed did as he was told and it was quiet for a moment once again.

"Okay I could use a bit of help, but I too want to get a job somewhere. I don't care what kind of job but I want to earn my own money and I don't need a fancy apartment. Or a chef or other shit, I'm old enough. I don't need a nanny to smother me."

"I´ll see what I can do about a job, but I still will get a better apartment. It's his choice if he lives in it or leaves it empty and the money waisted." Seto said into his mic.

Ed gave that information on to Joey who agreed, at least for now but said: "I still want to know who he is and will find it out, somehow."

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**Please Review**

**Authors note:  
I planned the story to be written in an observers perspective but only from Seto's perspective, so it will not tell what happens to Joey, when Seto isn't around, unless Seto hears about it later. But if enough of you are interested, I might write the events from one or two of the chapters from another perspective. Just let me know what chapter you might like rewritten and from what POV. I'm not good with first person so I'll probably make it like with Seto and write it like an all knowing observer of that person. But like I said, only if the interests on it are shown in PM's or reviews. Thanks.  
Lily272  
**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter four**

Seto was currently sitting in front of his desk in his office on the top floor of Kaiba Corp. with a newspaper in front of him. He had already looked up in his files of former employees. Kai had worked for him at some point but not as his secretary, he had been the secretary of the head of his PR Department. He had been fired for being constantly late for work. Great, he would have to find a position where it wasn't too bad to be late every once in a while and maybe get him to be on time. Maybe he could get a job at the reception, there were always two so one cold do a bit more in the mornings if he was late and Seto could cut down his pay check, if he was late too often. If he payed him by the hour, he could cut down for every hour that he was late in total, every minute counting.

Seto would tell Ed to inform Kai of that option, it would be up to him take it or leave it. Now Seto was looking through the newspaper for a suitable job for Joey, one that he might be able to organize for Joey without giving him a chance to find out his identity. Seto thought about what Joey had said. He really wanted to find out who he was, and wouldn't stop trying. He needed to be careful. Joey hadn't said much more the night before, not after that thread. But he wanted to go back to his real name for the apartment, Seto had asked about that. To change the topic from his own identity again. Seto had also informed the police that Joey was found and they would probably talk to him about what had happened and the things they had found in the old apartment he had shared with his father, there were a few things that now belonged to him. Even his deck that had been left behind. Joey must have been in a rush to get out of there.

Seto noticed something in the newspaper at that moment. The Kama Game Shop was looking for a part time help. That was strange, Yugi and Yami helped the old Solomon and the shop was small enough, so why did they need someone? But the reason didn't matter right now. Maybe the old man just got too old to help and Yugi and Yami might have other things too as to do the thing on their own. And Joey would be perfect. Seto was sure he would like to get in touch with them again and after all, he did want to go by the name of Joey again which is why Seto had talked to the police, after talking to Joey about it, of course. And Seto could always sent Ed to talk to the Muto´s about giving the job to Joey. Seto got his phone out and sent Ed over to the game shop immediately and if Joey could work there, he was to inform Joey right away and ask if he wanted that position, as well as tell him about Kai being able to work as an receptionist and getting payed by the hour, which meant if he was late it would be taken from his pay check. After that, he told Ed to inform himself about what had happened.

Seto was pleased with himself, it was just 11 am. Within 12 hours after finding Joey, he had not only gotten him into a nice hotel for a week with free food and plenty of money to keep him going for a month, he had also organized to fulfill two of his wishes. Or at least it was most likely that he had done so, since Yugi still had to agree to giving Joey the job but Seto had no doubt that he would. He was still on the look out and would be all too happy to be able to help his best friend. Now Seto had to make sure to get a good apartment. Maybe close to the Kama Game Shop, where he would work and not too far from Kaiba Corp. where Kai would probably start work soon. After all, if he was his boyfriend then he would probably move in with him. Seto hated the idea of that, though he had no choice but to accept it. That also meant, that the apartment needed to be big enough for two to live in together and maybe with a guest room. After all, Seto didn't know how close they were but they already lived together in an apartment for one person and with only one bed room. Either one of them slept on the couch or they were too close for Seto's liking. But there was nothing he could do about it.

Seto looked online for an apartment and found a nice one for sale in an apartment block. If he bought it for Joey, the only thing left was electricity and things like that. And the pictures looked promising. It had no furniture yet but looked very nice. It had two bedrooms, one bigger than the other. One big bathroom with bathtub and shower. In between the bedrooms the door leading into the hall, in between the doors of the bedrooms of course. It had a nice big open living and dining area with huge windows and a glass door to a big balcony. The kitchen was rather big but also still empty. And the walls were all white, he would need some interial decorators to get that place ready within a week and get it bought fast. He couldn't let Ed do all the work, so he phoned the number he saw there. He would just pretend to be Ed during the phone call to make sure he could not be traced by more people than Ed. One person that knew his identity was more than enough of a risk for Seto's liking and only acceptable since he had no other choice. For now that should be enough.

Seto organized that he would sent someone around later to pick up the paper work that needed to be signed and bring the money in cash for the apartment, he wanted it as fast as possible and for a bit extra, he could get the signed papers picked up the same day. Signed by the current owner and Seto organized some paper work that Ed would buy and then write it over to Joey, so Seto's name was nowhere to be found in the transaction. Seto sent some small internee over to the place to pick up some paper work and bring a briefcase over in the name of someone called Ed. Seto also told the internee that if he mentioned where or for who he worked, he would never find another job again, it was crucial that the person he met there would never find out his identity, if asked he should use the name Ed for his employee instead.

The next thing was to get the rooms ready. He himself would not enter the building, some of Joey's future neighbours might recognize him. He would have Ed do some of the work that needed to be done. But he could phone someone to plan the design of the rooms. He had a plan from the web page he had found the apartment on and could send it to someone. giving once again a false name to make sure. He would send Ed to meet with them and give them the keys to the apartment and to check on them in the evenings. Now all he had to do was pick an interior designer.

Seto looked up about ten different interior designer online and was still unsure about who he should take. The references hadn't been very different and Seto had no experience in such things. He never had bothered with such things before, the mansion had been furnished when he moved in as Gozaburo's adoptive son and after he had died it still was. Mokuba had wanted to change some things and Seto had just told him to do as he pleased and room after room had just changed, even his bedroom had suddenly been different. It had been very nice in the theme of his blue eyes white dragon but he had never bothered with who had designed it or even how much it had been, he had given Mokuba full power over his account so he didn't have to bother with the payment.

Now he regretted it. He decided to just randomly pick someone and phone that one. He decided on a woman that had no big name and was unknown herself, Seto hoped that she would be easier to get to do the work without too much questions, since she would be more likely to need the money than someone that already had a big name and could charge a lot anyway. Seto phoned her, hoping to be done with it quickly. But he hadn't known how much questions someone could ask about colouring and style and to top it up, Seto didn't really know what Joey liked, apart from duel monsters. He decided to go with modern and not too elegant. Joey didn't seem to be the elegant type. Other than that he left her to do whatever she wanted, since it always still could be changed later if Joey disliked it. He sent her the plans of the building in a mail and she was worried about the time limit but Seto just said she could get herself any help she needed and he would pay. He didn't give her a name and on question he just said the apartment was for a Joey Wheeler and she would have to go over other details with an associate of his, called Ed. When she asked for his name again he just said that it didn't matter and she shouldn't bother with his identity. She accepted it easier than Seto had expected and now he just had to wait to hear from Ed about Joey and tell him that they had to meet up and that he needed to go to the apartment and meet with the inertial designer.

While he waited Seto went through everything he had done so far, thinking about ways Joey might find out the identity of his secret admirer that wanted to help him. But the only loophole Seto could think of, was Ed. And he was payed by Seto and would lose that money if he talked. After all, Seto wouldn't need a spokesperson if he could talk to Joey directly and he could, if he found out. That is, if he still would accept anything. It had been easier to talk him into it than Seto had assumed it to be. He really must have been desperate and hated having to sell his body to some sick people that would use his need for money. But was he desperate enough to take something from Seto even when he hated him? Seto knew he couldn't risk it, so he had to stay secret. It didn't mater anyway, Joey would never return his love. So it wouldn't do any good to let him know how he felt anyway.

The words of Joey where still on Seto's mind. "I still want to know who he is and will find it out, somehow." Seto knew he had to keep him from finding out, so he couldn't afford to make any mistakes, like in a game of chess or duel monsters, he needed to anticipate his opponents, in this case Joey's every move, and prevent him from getting through his defence. Seto looked out of the window of his office. He was Seto Kaiba and never made mistakes. He would take Joey's words as a challenge and make sure to win this game of hide and seek.

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**Please Review**


	6. Chapter 5

Spacial thanks to Sasu-Sama' Sarukiji-Sempai

* * *

**Chapter five**

Seto sat in his black BMW with tainted windows and was parked close enough to the Kama Game shop to see through the windows. He had have a long meeting with Ed the previous evening and Ed would supervise the apartment and had talked to Joey about what he was looking for in the interior of his new place. Ed had also agreed to be in between of every transaction of money, so every check he would write for Joey would be to Ed instead and he would write one to let the money go on to its destination. That way Joey would not be able to find out who paid for everything, since it all came from Ed's account. Even the car he was in was a leased one that Ed had picked up and signed for that morning. He would keep it for a week so he could watch Joey every now and then when he went to work in the game shop. He would start this very day and Seto wanted to see him when he saw Yugi for the first time in so many years. He could already imagine the wide grin on his beloved puppys face and was pleased that he was partly responsible for it, after all he had made sure that Joey would work there from now on. And even if the smile wasn't for him, he was still happy that he would get to see it.

Yami and Yugi where inside, waiting for Joey. Yugi had been hyper all morning, he was jumpy and walking out to look down the street every five minutes. Seto had found it rather amusing to watch him do so and going back inside with a long face after not seeing Joey. Yami had to give him a hug and reassuring smile and always would say something to him. Seto's imaginary ran amok again, he imagined himself with Joey in his mansion, waiting for Serenity to stay over for a while, Joey being all hyper and he having to calm his little puppy down and comforting him, saying that it´s still early and she would still come and would never stand him up like that. Seto's mind got even more imaginative afterwards. He imaged himself with Joey once again, same setting and the same hyper puppy waiting for someone. But this time it wasn't his sister, it was a social worker that would bring them a child they wanted to adopted. It would be brought and the last papers signed after the social worker had seen the room and the surrounding the child would grow up in with them. In this fantasy even Seto was nervous, since the social worker could still take the child with her and leave them with noting if she didn't think them prepared or capable of dealing with a small child, and after all Seto wasn't famous for dealing with anything living.

Seto took a deep breath, he had to watch his mind better and not let it run free into imaginary worlds, full of wonders that could never be real. Joey would never be his and they would never adopt a child, since first Seto wasn't capable of dealing with a child and second, Seto wasn't even capable of holding on to a relationship with anyone, not to mention his feisty pup. He would just never be good enough for Joey, he would just hurt him when he said something wrong or just not the right thing at the right time, and he would definitely not be able to make him happy like he deserved.

Seto saw Joey walking around the corner in that moment. He was wearing the same clothes he had the night before. Seto made a mental note to get him more. Joey walked slowly towards the shop. Yugi had just missed him walking around the corner, he had just run back in right before and was now currently embraced by Yami, who held him tight and let a hand run through the smaller ones spiky hair. The two where still lost in each others eyes as Joey reached the shop and watched them for a moment through the window. He looked longingly towards them and Seto wished he could read Joey's thoughts. But all he could do was see the longing, with the same longing mirrored in his own eyes. He wanted to go over to Joey, to hold him and fulfill whatever longing he was feeling but he didn't know what it was and he probably wasn't even the one Joey wanted with him in this moment. Kai might be the one he was thinking about and that thought was like a stab through Seto's heart.

Seto saw Joey move one step back from the door and got even more worried about the blond young man that had been through so much. But in that moment Yami looked towards the door and saw Joey standing there, a smile spread on his face and Seto saw him moving his lips and Yugi turning towards the door with a sudden smile on his face too. Yugi bolted for the door and Joey suddenly had an armful of Yugi. Joey smiled, but the smile didn't seem real to Seto, something seemed off but he couldn't put a finger on it. Yugi pulled Joey inside of the game shop and Yami too gave him a hug and both started talking, hardly leaving Joey a chance to say something. Seto noticed that Yami became more quiet after a little while, while Yugi stayed all hyper. Joey said something every now and then, still with the same smile on his face. _It's the eyes _Seto thought _They look sad, even so his lips are smiling his eyes aren't sparkling with the usual fire, I wonder why? _Seto worried even more, but saw the same worried expression slowly appearing on Yami's face. After another short while Yami said something to Yugi that made him run of to the back of the house. And Yami talked a bit more serious with Joey but just for a little while and both went quiet after that for a long while, until Yami smiled a little bit to Joey and said one sentence, after that Joey said something, just one word that looked to Seto a little like thanks and he too smiled and this time it looked more genuine. It still wasn't the sun rivalling sparkling smile that Joey used to flash to his friends, but it was a start and it pleased Seto. The two started talking, Seto didn't know about what but it seemed more relaxed than before and after about 10 minutes Seto knew where Yugi was. His phone went off and Mokuba's name was on the display. "Seto, you won't believe it. Joey is back, I just got a call from Yugi, he heard about it yesterday but couldn't believe it and hadn´t phoned until he just saw him and it's really Joey! He is back, he's at the game shop right now, you have to go."

"And why should I bother with the mutt? I have better things to do." Seto said with his usual cold voice but grinning never the less, after all no one could see anyway.

"Oh come on. I know you were worried, too. I could see it, go and say hi to him for me."

"And again why should I? I'm at work, Mokuba."

"Come on, don't you care at all about what had happened to him? I want to know and I'm too far away to go, so please go for me and say hi to him for me and get him something from me, a welcome back present. Like ... oh yes, some red roses."

Seto heard Mokuba giggle and said "Like hell I'll get the mutt roses, he just gets the wrong idea."

"Or the right one, come on Seto, just admit that you like him."

"I really don't know what gave you that impression but I think you should stop taking whatever it is you're taking."

"Cute, but you can't fool me, big bro, anyway you have to get into it, Joey has a secret admirer. I don't know much yet, but you better go and check it out."

"Moki and if he had a boyfriend, I wouldn't give a damn."

"If you say so. Just please go there and give him something from me then and bring it personally, please for me Seto. Maybe a game or something like that."

"Only if you promise to stop talking funny pills."

"I don't take any funny pills, I just know you."

"Ya right, obviously not as well as you think."

"So, you wouldn't mind me telling Joey my thoughts about it?"

For a split second Seto wanted to scream and beg him not to say anything and confess it, just so he could make him promise not to say anything. But he thought the better of it, maybe he still could convince him that he was wrong. "Why would I care what you tell the mutt or if he believes the bull shit your mind is making up? Just don't say stuff like that to important people."

Seto hoped to have gotten Mokuba off guard with that, enough to let him doubt his own theory. Enough to not tell Joey, at least for now. Mokuba was quiet for a moment, so it seemed to have worked but then he said "We´ll see what happens, you're old enough to know what you do.. or at least you should be by now."

"I have to go now, Mokuba. I still have some work to do and if you want me to stop by at the game shop too, I'll better get on with my work."

"Okay, but hurry to the shop and phone me afterwards, okay? I want to know more about how Joey is doing, Yugi hadn't talked to him that much yet and didn't know much either."

"I'll see what I can do. See ya later."

"See ya, big bro. And get some information."

Seto stayed behind a little longer, watching Joey talking to Yami. But a short while after he had put the phone down, it rang again. This time displaying Yugi's name. He picked up, saying "Is this "bother- Seto- day" or what?"

"I just wanted to tell you that Joey is back! He is here right now, in case you want to see him."

"And why would I want that?"

"Because he's a friend of us, too."

"Right and since when are we friends?"

"For a while now and don't even pretend we´re not I like you. And you helped us a lot in the past, so don't think we didn't notice. Like the time you helped Tristan when Joey nearly fell off his back when the rats came running for you guys, you remember? Right after Joey's soul had been trapped with the ring of Orichalcos."

"How do you know? You weren't even there."

"Nice of you to remember it so clearly, but Tristan and Mokuba told me."

_Fuck _Seto thought. He had messed up a little, but it wasn't too late to fix it. He just needed to be more careful with Yugi, he was good at games, like Yami. And this was nothing but a very big game of hide and seek. "Sure, I remember you talking to me after all and not one of your brain death friends. And now to your friend theory, I will give you the same advice that I gave Mokuba, just so he won't copy anything bad from you, lay off the funny pills and now leave me alone, I have work to do." with that Seto ended the call and put his phone away. He needed to be more careful if Yugi was on to him already. Maybe he shouldn't even be in front of the game shop like some freakish stalker, he took another look inside, seeing Yugi return. So he had been the last person the little guy had phoned. That probably was a good sign and Yugi wasn't on to him too much, at least not with how much he cared for Joey. He watched them talk for another while and then saw Joey nearly fall over with laughter after something Yugi had said. Seto was happy, seeing his little Puppy laugh like that and even more happy that Yugi seemed upset so whatever had made Joey laugh, Yugi had been serious and didn't like that Joey laughed about whatever it was. Seto decided to try and put some hidden mic's in the game shop, he wanted to know what was being said inside. Maybe he should get back and bring Joey a present from Mokuba. And he had just the thing for that!

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**Please Review**


	7. Chapter 6

Spacial thanks again to SpiritofLove961 and mednin for their reviews.

And now on with the story I hope you'll like Seto's twisted thoughts.

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**Chapter six**

Seto had been home to change the car and got the present he would give to Joey from Mokuba. He had watched the three young men for a while first. He needed to take his time so he wouldn't look to desperate to see him. He was worried about the present, since it might give away his feelings for the blond but he had an excuse for it, the only question was if they would fall for it. He drove back to the Kama Game shop in one of his fancy sport cars and slowly went to the door after parking his car. He was wearing his white suit with a light blue shirt and the ice blue tie. He wore it often enough for work, so it wouldn't look to dressed up and like he just came from work.

Seto walked into the small shop. It hadn't changed at all since the last time he had been in it. Three pair of eyes where on him. He looked at Joey's for a moment, he hadn't been this close for such a long time and was happy to finally be able to be so close again. But he had a role to play, like he always did, he was the cold hearted careless CEO of Kaiba corporation. "Here." He said, handing Joey a brown box that looked like a storage box. "Mokuba begged me to get something for you from him and bring it in here. And I needed to get rid of that piece of rubbish, that got the head of my design department fired anyway."

"Figure, I only get rubbish from you" Joey said opening the box and then stared inside. It was a duel disk in a black and red design, mostly black but with some red lines and on the display for his life points where two red eyes, just like his red eyes the part for the cards looked a bit like a red eye wing and Joey could hardly believe his eyes and that he should just get that for free. "You're freaking kidding me, is that really for me?"

"No, for your invisible friend you stupid mutt, of course it's for you. If you don't like it, just throw it into the trash. Like I said, I don't need it. I have a way cooler one." Seto smirked, he knew Joey would love this one, which is why a long time ago he had made it, just for Joey. He had made one for himself in white and blue, that as clearly resembled his blue eye as Joey's black red one disk with his red eye. Seto was happy to be able to give it to Joey with such a good excuse. He never thought he would be able to, first with him being missing and then with staying secret to make sure Joey would accept the help, and a duel disk was too obvious, with his company being the only one that sold them. And now Mokuba had helped him, he could just give it to him in his name and pretend that he didn't need it, which was true. After all it was made for Joey to keep.

At that moment Seto was happy as well as hurt at the same time. He wanted to tell Joey how he felt and be able to hold him, be there for him and not being mean and nasty and his usual CEO asshole self, but he was sure that he needed to be for Joey to be safe, to ensure that he could help and protect him, at least with his money. But he was happy because of Joey's smile as he took the duel disk out of the box and showed it off to Yami and Yugi. Both of them where all over it and Joey had his old sparkly sun like smile on his face. The smile Seto had learned to love and he had been the reason, his gift had gotten that smile out of Joey again. Seto had to fight a smile. It wasn't easy to keep a poker-face, when all you want is kiss a cute blond smiling Puppy, that is standing right in front of you.

"Mokuba also wanted me to get information on how you are and what you've been up to, so spill." Seto just said after a while to distract himself from the soft, full, smiling and inviting lips of his puppy. _Why does he have to look so god damn tempting?_ Seto thought, while still imagining how it might be to just jump him and kiss him silly. At the same time the smile faded a little, not completely but it became more of the fake one he had earlier. The light faded from his beautiful honey eyes. And for a moment he looked so helpless that Seto had to fight the urge to hug and comfort him even more than he had to fight the smile or the wish for a kiss earlier.

_I'm Seto Kaiba the cold CEO! I'm Seto Kaiba the cold CEO! I'm Seto Kaiba the cold CEO! _Seto chanted in his head to stop himself from hugging the beautiful man that looked like a lost and wounded puppy, while he had the feeling that his heart was screaming _screw you head, just hug him already. _But he wouldn't be Seto Kaiba, if his heart won over his brain. And so he just stood there, watching as Joey fought for the right words, as Yami and Yugi both looked worriedly at Joey.

"I just freaked after, you know and after I had nowhere to go and now someone is helping me so, I´ll tell him some more when he's here, I doubt you care anyway." Joey looked down to the floor. He probably wasn't comfortable talking about it yet. Who would be comfortable talking about something like that?

"Great, saves me time." Seto just said, so Joey wouldn't need to worry about it for now anymore. He thought about a way to get his blond Puppy's spirit back up, since he was still looking down to the floor with a blush on his face. It wasn't an easy task to get someone's mood up without being uncharacteristically kind towards them. And not only could Seto not risk them finding out about his feelings towards the blond, he also had no idea how to comfort someone. He hardly had managed to comfort Mokuba when he had needed it and he was his little brother and had been a kid were the words "I'll always be there when you need me" did more than anything else. If he would say that to Joey, he might burst into tears or fall into a depression, he hated him after all. And Seto really didn't have any idea what else he might be able to do, to make his Puppy happy again. But if he could not make him happy again he could try and go for feisty and there was usually an easy way to get Joey into a fight. "I just tell Mokuba that he can prevent it next time by getting a leash."

"I'm not a dog" Joey said, still a blushed in the face and looking down but his voice was his usually feisty growl, when he got angry.

"Then why do you sound like a dog?" Seto asked with his usual Kaiba smirk.

That got him the reaction he was aiming for. Joey looked up at him with an angry expression, he was clearly about to start the fight. And so he did, he grabbed Seto by the collar and said "Say that again, moneybags."

"And here I thought dogs have good hearing, maybe you need a visit to the vet as well as a dog school." And Seto pushed him away, carefully enough to make sure that he would not fall and get hurt but with enough force so he would let go and then added "But I don't have the time to take you to either one, I've got better things to do than hanging out with you lot. See ya." And with that he left, but he could still hear Joey ranting inside. "Come back, you jerk! I'm not done with you!"

But Seto just kept on walking down the streets and towards his fancy sports car, without looking back once. Even so he wanted to see his Puppy one last time before driving away from him. But he couldn't risk Yugi finding out how he felt, he had no chance anyway. Seto knew it was more likely that hell freezes over than that Joey could ever love him after the way he always behaved. He didn't know how to show his feelings. At least Joey had something to go on about for a while and would not be reminded of his dark past right away. It might help him a little bit or at least he hoped so.

While driving to his office, Seto was thinking about all the times he had fought with his little Puppy in the past. How much more spirit he had back then. He had still fought back and still had some of the old fire, but it hadn't been the same, close but not the same. He had changed in the last years, not that it could ever lessen the feelings he had for the blond. On the contrary, they only got stronger. He loved his puppy even more than before. He admired his strength. Joey had been through so much in his still young life. He had been abounded by his mother, who had taken the sister away from him in the process. By taking the younger sister he loved so much with her.. but leaving him behind. Then he had been abused by the father in god knows what ways and to what extend. He had felt guilty for his father´s death that was brought on by his hand, sure in self defence but still it must hurt him so much that it still happened through his hand. And then the life on the street, begging for money at the start and eventually selling his body for others to use for their sick pleasure, for a bit of money. Hardly enough to pay for a cheap apartment and some food and a few clothes. All these bad memories would be with him for the rest of his life and there was nothing Seto could do about it. For a moment he considered getting him a shrink, but how would Joey feel if he just got him a shrink? No, if he would get him one, Joey needed to want it from the beginning but how to ask or suggest even, without hurting his feelings? Joey was almost as proud as he was and strong, not only in his body but to make it through all that and still be more or less okay showed how strong he was.

Seto thought about it for a while longer but then remembered Joey's smile at the duel disk. A blinding smile that outshone the sun. Maybe Joey was strong enough to make it through all that alone or at least with just his friends. He was the strongest person Seto had ever meet, which made him love him even more. Seto would keep an eye on Joey from afar, like he did now and could still get him help, if he really needed it. It was normal that he was different, now he had some very bad experiences. He's been trough a lot, he would need time to recover and even after that he would be different, since he was also older. It had been so much time since then and it´s normal that people changed over the time but he could be happy, he could still have a good life as long as Seto made sure no one would ever hurt his Puppy again. And he would do everything in his power to ensure it. He would protect him with his life if necessary.

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**Please review**

**Authors note:  
Don't worry they will meet again and the next time for longer.  
And don't forget if enough of you are interested, I might rewrite the events from one or two of the chapters from another perspective. Just let me know what chapter you might like rewritten and from what POV. I'm not good with first person so I'll probably make it like with Seto and write it like an all knowing observer of that person. But like I said in chapter 3, only if the interests on it are shown in PM's or reviews. Thanks.  
Lily272**


	8. Chapter 7

A very special thanks to Sasu-Sama' Sarukiji-Sempai for her constant support and reviewing.

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**Chapter seven **

Seto was in his office looking at the plans for the apartment he had bought for Joey the day before. He was still thinking about Joey's smile when he had given him the duel disk earlier, as well as the reduction of his feisty behaviour after the dog comments. He was still worried a little but there wasn't much he could do right now and he was at least not alone, he would still be at work, together as well as for his two best friends Yami and Yugi. It went without saying that he wouldn't get much work done since they hadn't seen each other in years. Seto was looking at the plans and as clueless as the day before when he had to pick someone. The rooms where bright and warm which was probably a good thing, especially considering what Joey had been through. It had been full of darkness and secrets, some light and warm colours might do him good. It wasn't overly elegant or posh but practical. Still to Seto it was still a bit off.

The kitchen was big, with plenty of storage that would keep a family organized for a month and two big American fridges with freezer in it. There was also another freezer for extra storage and double sized stove and two ovens. The room was black and red, with lots of reflecting surfaces. Seto liked the colour of them, even so it was too much red to really fit with a red eye theme but it was still nice. The open living and dinning room area was in a sandy colour with a orange mussel print about one meter over the floor. The couch was a light brown orange leather one and very big. It could even be changed into a bed if necessary but Seto doubted it would ever be since Joey had a guest room. The dining table was small but extendible to three times its normal size and the chairs where nice too and looked comfortable, there where plenty there and some in a line to both sides of the room planned when the table wasn't extended and there where pictures planned. Modern, the kind that looked to Seto like a 2 year old hat gotten hold of some paint pots. In the living room was also a nice flat screen high def TV and a golden framed glass couch table, still Seto liked this room the least. The master bed room was in the same colours like the living room and had a big king sized bed with pillows that had flowers stitched on them. _Flowers? _Seto suddenly thought,_ how girly._ Now he knew what had been wrong, the whole thing apart from the kitchen was too girly or gay, depending on who would live in it and this was for a guy and Seto, even so Joey had indicated to have a boyfriend and for that to be this Kai dude, he already hated. He had to do something about the design but what there wasn't much time, it needed to be finished today so they could start working on it the next day. Maybe a darker couch, a black one and instead of a orange mussel print it would be black claw print. And maybe not a couch table of a different kind one that was a fish tank too might be interesting and would give Joey some sort of company. With a bit of light in it, to light the room in the evening with a dim light so he wouldn't necessarily need the bright big one. The chairs in the dining room could be black and red too, it would match with the kitchen as well. For the bedroom the same claw print and a bit red eye painting or poster, depending on what could be found and the bed rather black and red and no flowers. The closet could be a matching one if possible. Seto wrote that in notes and mailed it back to the interior designer. He wanted the apartment to be ready on time, even if he could afford the hotel for another few nights but he wanted Joey to have a nice home as fast as possible.

Seto decided to make the interior designer be present when Joey would enter the apartment for the first time, so he could say if something was not to his liking or something was missing and it could be arranged for during his work hours or even if he was there. Seto also needed to get Joey more money for clothes and plenty of food, maybe he could get a bank account for him but he didn't want to let that work over to Ed as well since it would involve a higher amount of money again and he didn't want to risk too much. The man might make a run for it with the money, instead of giving it to Joey and then he would not only have lost a bigger amount of money, which really wouldn't be too bad since he had more than enough to spare, but he would also have lost his spokesperson, that on top of that would not get the money for being the spokesperson nor would he need it and that was a risk Seto did not want to take.

He needed to find another way but Joey could find out from where the money came and that was a big problem that needed to be solved, and it needed to be solved fast. It shouldn't be a problem to get an account for Joey, he started working and would probably get one anyway. Ed might be able to find out and maybe talk him into getting one sooner rather than later.

Seto decided to take a pause from the planing he still needed t phone Mokuba about seeing Joey. He wasn't sure what to tell him since Joey hadn't want to talk about anything so he himself wasn't supposed to know anything either and Yugi already had phoned Mokuba about Joey's return way before him and probably would talk to him again and if they found out that he had told Mokuba something that he himself hadn't been told, then he was screwed.

Seto went over everything that he had, talked to Yugi and Joey about it. It wasn't much that was supposed to know. Rather it was like nothing at all. Joey had been gone, now he was back and had been in the game shop. Officially he didn't even know he worked there from now on. And he only knew that he had freaked after what had happened with his dad and nothing about what had happened after. So all Seto needed to do was keep his cool and not say too much, maybe keep the call short and then organise some more with Ed and talk about the bank. That problem was more important anyway.

Seto phoned Mokuba and waited for him to pick up. It took a moment and he started to wonder what Mokuba was up to, as he answered the phone. "Hey big brother, have you talked to Joey yet and did you get him something?"

"I didn't get him anything, YOU got him a duel disk, a red eye themed one I had lying around since a foolish ex employee made it. And yes, I talked to him but not for long since I didn't have time for a hour long chit chat. And for your information he didn't want to talk about what had happened and said that he might tell you some other time. So I can't tell you anything really, happy now?"

"Happy, don't know.. have you told him that you love him?"

"Why would I tell him such bull shit?"

"Because it's not bull shit and don't try to get away from me, I know you."

"Like I said before, think what you want as long as you don't tell anyone important your crazy ideas I don't care, but you really should stop taking any funny pills. As an advise multicoloured ones are usually bad."

He could hear his little brother giggle and concluded from that, that he was still onto him and sure he loved him, even so he had pretended to not care and been very convincing in his own opinion. But it was Mokuba they where talking about after all and the little guy knew him better than anyone else.

"Why don't you even be honest with me? I promise not to tell and let you two make it out between yourself. I just want you to be honest with me."

Seto had never been so greatful that Mokuba wasn't around. He knew that voice, it was his puppy dog´s voice and always came with huge puppy dog eyes that could only be outmatched by Joey's who thankfully never used them on Seto, probably not believing it would work in the first place. And Seto was certain that Mokuba would go as far and record this little chat and play it to Joey if he deemed it necessary to get them together. He just said it otherwise to trick him, he was becoming a very good businessmen that could play his opponent very well. But Seto had more experience and would not be outmatched.

"Ok little brother, I'll tell you the truth. I don't give a bloody damn about the Mutt or any of the geek squat and funny multicoloured pills are still bad for you. Anything else that needs to be discussed? I'm still at work."

"You're always at your work, how many hours a day are you there at the moment?"

"If I´ll tell you, you're just getting upset, so don't ask."

"I don't like that answer either, please just try to take some time off and I´ll phone tomorrow after talking to Yugi, maybe I can find out a bit more about your lost little Puppy."

"First if you imply the Mutt, he is not mine nor a cute Puppy but rather a stray Mutt and second, if he is lost again you should get a leash."

"I didn't say he was a cute Puppy I said little that cute came from you."

"You always say that you want a little Puppy since Little Pup's are always cute."

"Just because you used to before we got adopted."

"You know what think what you want I don't care about the Mutt and I don't care what you think about that topic."

"If you say so, but at least tell me if you hear something more about him, no mater from which source, okay?"

"I promise. But i have to work now little bro, I still have something to figure out in a project of mine."

"Your always busy but what project is it, big bro?"

"Still, so secret that I don't talk about it over the phone and I'm not sure if I will even go through with it, it is a big question mark in my mind but if I can get through a few problem's that might appear then I might do it. But it would still need a lot of work and might cost me some nights."

"Then drop it."

"We'll see little brother. But don't worry I'll mind my health, I'm more worried about you and the multicoloured pills."

"Will you stop it with the pills! I'm not on drugs. What do you think of me?"

"After your crazy idea with the Mutt, just the worst"

"Great thanks, but it's not crazy. I'm sure of it, I know you and you can't fool me."

"May I ask what got that crazy idea into your crazy head?"

"The way you always fight with him ,you never put so much energy into dealing with someone and you seem to enjoy it."

"Just to make sure I got that right you think I love him, because we fight a lot?"

"Sure, you fight like a married couple."

"Great, now I'm married to him in that crazy little mind of yours. But what ever, I really don't have time to discuss it right now."

"Okay I'll call when I hear something and please do too okay?

"I'll promise if I hear something I'll let you know, see ya."

"See ya big bro. And make sure to get plenty of the rest."

Seto ended the call and looked at his laptop again. He had thought of a plan during the call to ensure that Joey wouldn't be able to track the money down to him. He would try and open an account under an alibi. And he would use the name Katsuya Jonouchi. Seto just wished, he would be able to see his face. If he sees that he got money from himself. But he would wait with it so to make sure that it's at a different bank and hopefully they would not tell him if he asked after all he was not there then and Seto was and they wouldn't be allowed to give information on the people that went to that bank. Long live confidentiality.

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**Please review**


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Seto just arrived at his office, later then usual, since he had been at the bank. He now had a second bank account under the name of Katsuya Jonouchi. He wondered whether Joey would track that one down, once he would notice the money he intended to get over to Joey's account, as soon as he knew Joey had an account. And Ed was keeping an eye out for that and had talked to him and Joey said he would get one but wasn't sure with what bank yet. He never had one before and had no idea about how it worked. His dad had always done everything considering money and spent more than he got on booze and than lost the rest in card games. So all Seto could do now was wait for him to get an account.

"Hello, Mister Kaiba." Seto turned towards the voice. Most of his employees rather ran for the hills than dare getting his attention, so he wondered who had distracted him from his tought. It took him a moment to recognise the brown curly hair. It was Kai, the guy he had seen with Joey on the streets. The guy that had lived with him for some time, the guy that might be Joey's boyfriend. He gave him his most deathly death stare, putting all his fury for him being so close to his little Puppy in it. And what made matters worst, that dude didn't even flinch. Was he brave or just plain dumb? Seto thought as another tought hit him. He had been a runaway, Ed had said and still he had for a while worked at Kaiba corp. and with no references or experiences, hell he hadn't even finished high school, WHY? He looked confused and then said, sounding totally innocent and like he had never seen him before "Are you this new guy, Kai?"

"Yes, that's me, Mister Kaiba, sir." He said with a big smile on his face. _What the hell is wrong? _Seto thought. _He doesn't seam the least bit scared and I look at him with my most ferocious death glare, the women next to him at the reception is already one head shorter, trying to hide half under the desk and he is smiling at me like I just made his whole freaking day. _Seto couldn't understand any of it, not why he looked so pleased nor why the hell he had ever been working here, so that he had to hire him back to make his puppy happy. What the hell is going on, but maybe there was a way to find out. He could always ask this Kai a few questions, he didn't seem to be too bright to figure anything out and as long as he was careful, he couldn't tell Joey anything suspicious. "I need to talk to you, be in my office in 30 minutes and don't dare to be late." and with that Seto went off, hearing a "Of course, Mister Kaiba, Sir. Everything you say." _Of course everything I say, I'm the boss you idiotic brainless waste of space. _Seto thought, while walking on towards the elevator.

25 minutes later Seto sat in his office, in his chair, his huge desk behind him. He was looking out of the window when a knock on the door disturbed him once again. He turned first before asking the person in but it wasn't necessary any more, he had let himself in and it was Kai. " Didn't anyone tell you how it works here? Don't just come in. I might be busy, even when I asked you to come, just wait till I call you, understood?"

"Of course, Mister Kaiba. I'm very sorry, I didn't know."

"There is probably way too much you don't know, I still can't believe that you´re even here. Which is actually why I wanted to talk to you, exactly, why are you here?"

"You asked me to come to your office." Kai said and Seto noticed his confused look. He really was dumb.

"I mean, why do you have this job? You probably know that some stupid private detective connected me and I got a huge amount of money, worth even my while and making me consider hiring you and even doing so, but mind you. I can fire you any time I want to, if you mess up. But what I want to know is, why is some rich guy bothering with you and wasting money and time on you?"

"Well, it's not because of me. He has a thing for a friend of mine and wants to help him out but he refused to leave me hanging with nothing and so he promised him to get me a job, so Katsuya... I meant Joey.. wouldn't worry."

"Joey? Joey Wheeler?"

"Yes, you know him?"

"Unfortunately, yes he was in a few duel monster tournaments and to top it off my little brother considers the Mutt a friend of his."

"Mutt? You call him MUTT?"

"What if?" Seto saw him getting angry and wondered why he was overreacting so much.

"Don't."

"Don't what?" Seto gave him another death glare, worse than the one before. No one told him what to do or what not to do and most certainly not a worthless guy, like that one in front of him.

"Don't call him dog names. He has been trough more than enough as to be tormented by you or anyone else."

"Tormented? Don't be overreacting like that, I called him Mutt as long as I know him and that's what he is. A worthless Mutt like you and you better watch your mouth or you're back on the street where you belong."

"He isn't worthless and I don't care what you call me, I don't even care what you think about him but don't call him that to his face! If I ever hear otherwise, you will regret it, boss or no boss, Job or not. I don't care one way or another, but don't let him hear it. You don't know him like I do, you don't know how his life was and you don't have any idea how bad he can get. He cried for hours once thanks to someone calling him a cute Puppy and he just mumbled "I'm not a dog", while crying. He can't stand it, because someone overdid it and I think I know who by now, so cut it OUT Kat... I mean Joey is a friend of mine and that comes before a dumb job."

"I´m warning you for the last time, watch your mouth! Understood? And now, one more thing before I kick you out of my office and you better make sure that you never get to my attention again after you left this room today. Why have you worked here before? Why have you been hired by someone as a personal secretary when you are clearly incompetent, do you have any idea?"

"That dude found me on the street working as a hooker and thought he can have some cheap fun, if he let's you pay for my hours here and still gets to fuck me, that's why, but I didn't like it. I started to avoid him and got fired for that. Anything else, jerk?"

"No, get the hell out of my office and back to work, before I change my mind and kick you out for good." Seto watched him leave, trying to process every little thing Kai had said. A Puppy comment had freaked him out at some point. The way Kai's face had turned red while saying someone said it, the someone might have been him. He might have called his Puppy with Puppy, and Seto didn't like it but he disliked the freaked out part even more. But why might he have freaked out then? He had reacted just fine the day before in the game shop. At least until he was gone but there might have been something afterwards but if, how was he to find out? Seto thought about that for a moment but then figured, that if he had reacted as bad as this Kai had claimed he did, he would already know. Yami and Yugi had been with him as he had left and they would have wanted to protect Joey from something like that at least as much as Kai seemed to want that, and that meant that Yami would have stormed the building, challenging him to a game and if Yami won, he had to stop calling him that and considering that it was Yami, the odds where against Seto. And Yugi would phone Mokuba, who in return would have phoned him and threatened with never talking to him again, until he apologises to Joey and swears to never do it again. Yes, Seto was sure that that would have happened, if his words had made him break into tears and getting a mental breakdown, including mumbling "I'm not a dog" or such. But what had Kai been going on about, then? Was he simply overreacting? He risked his job in talking like that, and even so he was about as bright as a very deep dark scary cave, even he couldn't be so dumb as to risk his job over something small. Had he just reacted different, because of Mutt instead of Puppy? But then again it would have made more sense to freak over worthless Mutt then cute Puppy. But maybe it wasn't the words, maybe it was the person. Kai hadn't said who it was but he looked guilty with getting all red during that part, so if it had been him it did make sense to freak, if a friend said something like that rather than an enemy. Seto felt like he had been stabbed in the heart. He had known that Joey hated him, but having it more or less confirmed in such a way was different. And it showed that he liked Kai in some way, maybe as friends. Kai had called Joey a friend but who knew what Joey felt or if Kai was playing it down for some reason.

Seto could feel a headache coming. The only good thing about the mess with Kai was, that Seto now knew that if Joey was with Kai, he had a reasonable decent guy with him. Not smart but decent, he had been caring and protective like hell towards Joey. And even Seto had to admit that he had guts to talk back to him like that, even so he had used the full force of his so called death glare. He knew how much all the employees there always feared getting that one and he had gotten it and still talked back. Even his bravest employees, that would dare to give an honest opinion, even if it went against his, would not dare to talk like that after a death glare. Maybe before, when he was in a good mood, but after a death glare the respect would always be very noticeable and no one had ever dared to call him a jerk, okay to be honest everyone did it but never to his face, apart from his Puppy and the rest of the geek squat. And they didn't work for him but where centred around Yami and Yugi, his rivals. The only two persons who could beat him in duel monsters, and in a rivalry it was reasonably normal to call the opponent names.

But apart from that he had another problem, he needed to think about, and fast on top of that. He had gotten officially news about Joey. Or lets say, Seto had gotten news not Joey's secret rich guy, now what to do about Mokuba? If he phoned him right away, it might look like he is eager to talk about it and if he waited too long, he might look like avoiding the topic. When should he phone, how long could he risk to wait until Mokuba might hear it otherwise and how could he hear it? Kai could talk about it to Joey, Joey to Yugi or directly to Mokuba and Yugi might already have been made the same promise, to phone Mokuba when he had news. But for now Kai was at work and so was Joey and that meant for now he should be safe. After careful consideration, about when Mokuba might hear about a friend of Joey's working with him, as well as the fact that he normally wouldn't have enough interest in his employees to even notice and now after this, not the time nor patience to talk it through with a crazy brother that had funny ideas about his love life, Seto decided to just phone Mokuba in the evening, after work. That should be safe. He wouldn't mention the dog thing just yet, maybe at some point he´d let it slip by, but not now since it would look like too much interest, he would just 'forget' about it and just talk about the guy, the guy that had payed for Kai to get the job to please Joey. It might be good to be the one to tell Mokuba that there was a rich guy sponsoring him and wondering who that might be? Since it might be someone, who even doesn't want to piss off after all the detective had been there and talked like he was the boss, so it might have been an act but it could be someone very powerful behind him. That would sound convincing, that would be the businessman, the CEO talking and wanting news on Joey's powerful sponsor, whenever powerful and that way he might stay in the loop on possible progress that might lead towards him. Seto was happy with his plan, it might distract them, unless they figure that he wants them to think just that. But they could at least never be sure about it and so it would confuse them at least.

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**Please review**


	10. Chapter 9

Spacial thanks to Sasu-Sama' Sarukiji-Sempai and mednin for the reviews.

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**Chapter nine**

Seto was exhausted, he was Joey's secret rich guy for over a week now. The apartment had just been finished, it hadn't been in time since there had been some complication with furniture not being there on time. That had gotten him furious but he couldn't use the fear most people developed by the sound of his name to speed things up, since that would have been a risk. So he had payed for a few extra nights and let Ed inform Joey about the arrangements taking a bit longer than planned. But now it was done and Ed would take Joey there tomorrow.

If he could believe the word of Ed, the place looked nice and not too girly. Light, bright and warm but with a cool touch, but the rooms still smelled like paint. Fortunately it had a night to air out and hopefully would, so Joey could go right in and feel at home. Seto had been on a shopping spree himself and bought a couple of clothes for Joey, that Ed had with him already and put in right now. Dishes and cooking utensils where also being put in by him right now. No one could track any of it to Seto, since he only had bought the clothes and just in cheap places. Wearing sunglasses and a loose tracksuit with a hoodie and unbrushed hair to top it off. The dishes had been bought online and were delivered the very same day and payed for from the Katsuya account.

He also had put an extremely large amount of money on Joey's brand new bank account the very same day. He would never have to work nor need any help financially at all, honestly he would have to go nuts on an month long shopping spree with expensive things to get rid of it or buy at least 20 houses, 20 BIG houses, since he had given Joey a bit more than 20 times the value of his own mansion. To be honest, it was nearly half of what he had himself and it was just good that Mokuba had his own account since he went to college and could not check up on his, for if he did, he surely would notice the missing money and if Joey would say how much money he suddenly had, then he would be in BIG trouble. But that was not the case any more and Mokuba would never have to find out how much money was suddenly missing and that was really good. For if Joey, just as much as mentioned to have gotten a huge amount of money, Mokuba would have been at the bank. Seto's plan about telling him hadn't worked to his satisfaction. Mokuba suspected it immediately but couldn't be sure to his luck, so for now he hadn't said anything at least not to his knowledge. Still Seto needed to be extra careful with what he said.

Mokuba was looking right through him, he had gotten even more preceptive than he used to be and his mind was sharp and counting. Seto couldn't help but being proud of his little brother, even if it would make it harder on him. By now Mokuba was assuming, that the stunt with telling him about the rich supporter was to throw him off the lead or at least confuse him and Mokuba knew already, that Seto had been out of the office more then usually and that he wouldn't tell anyone where he went. He had found it suspicious, while Seto had simply said that he needed to work on a secret project that no one new about right now. Not even his most trusted employees. He would need to find some project he could do in secret, at least for a while and that he would have done secretly. Otherwise Mokuba will get even more suspicious.

Seto was exhausted, he had steeped out of work to watch Joey way too often and to keep up with work, he had worked nearly all night three nights in a row, every night with only two hours sleep. He was feeling like he was about to die, at least it was weekend and since most employees were off completely, he had time to keep up with his work, getting a few hours of sleep and watching Joey, a little bit at least. Or thats what he had planned, but this time it didn't go as planned.

As Seto left the lift on the bottom floor and walked towards the exit, he hard a familiar laughter. He turned towards it and wished instantly that it was a nightmare. There was Mokuba, with his back towards him, talking and laughing with Kai. Seto watched them and gave Kai another death glare and waited for now, to see if they would even notice him.

It didn't take long until Kai noticed the glare he was currently receiving "Oh, I think the jerk of brother you have, is gonna fire me.. this time for good." Mokuba turned to look at his bigger brother, smiled at him and said "Oh, hey big brother. I thought I´d come and visit you this weekend, if I'm already going to be gone for Christmas. By the way, you look like hell. How many nights did you go without sleep again?"

"None of your business, what are you doing here?" Seto just said, still looking at Kai with his death stare.

"Come on, big brother, quit staring at Kai like that. He is really nice, no wonder Joey likes him. He is funny, too. Just hilarious, he just told me about the chat you two had. Seems like you forgot to mention a few bits and pieces, like did he really call you a jerk to your face?"

Seto's death glare got even worse and Kai said "Let me guess, I can kiss my Job good bye?"

"Wow" Seto said with a smirk "For once you know something."

"Oh come on, Seto. You can't fire him, he is a friend of Joey, please big brother. Be good to him and anyway why would you fire him now?" Mokuba asked.

"I warned him not to get to my attention again and now he has so he can get the hell away. I don't want to have to see him." Seto said with as much acid in his voice as possible. He couldn't let Mokuba think that he would keep Kai for Joey's sake, even if it had been the plan at the start.

"Oh come on, Seto. That was my fault, so you can't fire him or I won't talk to you, until you rehire him anyway." Mokuba grind a smug smile at him and Seto just said "Great, then I don't have to bother with your ridiculous hallucinations." And was about to go out, as Mokuba said "Please, Seto. He has guts, you gotta leave him that, he might be useful, one last chance." Seto sighed, at least Mokuba was still talking to him and he could still win a power battle to some extend, even if he would give in now. He had still had not let Mokubas threats get to him but the reasoning and that was better. "Fine, but it's the last one and he better not blow it." Seto continued and he heard Mokuba say "Bye Kai, gotta go or he leaves without me and by the way, you're half way right, he can be a jerk but he has a good side and can be nice, too. He just doesn't like showing it and acts like a jerk."

"If that's an act, than he's one hell of an actor." Seto heard Kai say, but just walked on and pretended not to hear a word and Mokuba was next to him in seconds. They both went into the limousine, he had ready outside. And once the car was driving, Mokuba said "It's nice being alone with you for a bit and by the way, I'm planning to stay for a long weekend and I can afford to miss Monday, I'm good enough, so don't worry."

"What do you want?" Seto just asked, he wasn't in a good mood since he would not be able to watch Joey with Mokuba around, he might notice something. And Seto wanted to see his blond little Pup. He loved watching him by now, even if he felt like a freaking stalker.

"For one, I wanted to see you. I missed you, big bro. And to be honest, I wanted to see Joey, too. Can't we both go to the Kama Game shop?"

"Can't I just throw you out there and you either get a cab home or a driver picks you up later?"

"No, Seto please. I know that the last talk with Joey didn't go well and I know what Kai had said about dog coments but you can't give up. Joey might fall for another guy one day, if you don't start trying."

"Fine by me, if he gets someone. Maybe that will prove to you that there is nothing." Seto said that and meant it, even if the mere thought about Joey with another guy was hurting him so bad, that he had to fight away tears. He just hoped Mokuba wouldn't notice it. He had fought so hard to get Joey everything, he didn't want him to just give it all back because he couldn't stand having something from the jerk, from probably the only person that could call him Mutt, since he hated Seto enough to not care. Joey deserved happiness, even if it's with another man.

"I can see that it's not fine by you, why don't you tell me the truth?" Mokuba watched Seto, who was silent for a moment. One single tear escaped him and he knew it was too late to hide it any more. Mokuba knew anyway, he was sure and he couldn't fool him. Most of all not after letting that tear escape. Seto took a deep breath and decided to just get Mokuba not to tell and there was one thing that might work.

"You know that I love you and trust you more than anyone else." Seto could see Mokuba nod, so he continued. "Then you should know that I wouldn't keep anything without a reason, right?"

"And what reason would it be?" Mokuba asked, Seto could see the confusion. He needed to make him stay quiet, after all this already had been half way a confession, now he was certain and he would tell if he didn't make him stay quiet. "If you could do something that might make someone happy, who would you want to make happy?"

"You, of course. Well, maybe my girlfriend, too. But if I had to choose, I would still choose you. We're family and you have always been there for me, big bro and I want to help you, too." Seto had expected the answer, it was just like Mokuba to say something like that. And Seto knew that he could use it to his advantage, as long as Mokuba didn't notice that he was played and to be honest, he wasn't completely. He wasn't lying with what he was about to tell him "But what if I want someone else to be happy, what if I don't want to let you choose me over him?"

"I think I know what you mean, but what if Joey would be happy too?" Mokuba looked very serious as he said that and Seto looked at him and said "How often have I hurt you by working too hard? Having no time and being extremely bad tempered, due to a lack of sleep and my usual problems with saying what I feel? I don't want to hurt him that way. It's better for him if someone else makes him happy."

"I don't really think so, but I think that it's cute that you think of him so much. But to be honest, I still don't get why you don't want to tell him that it's you, who is giving him all the stuff."

"He is so proud, nearly as much as I'm, or at least he was, and I don't think he would´ve accepted it from me, at least not as much or as easily."

"Do you really not want him to know that you love him? I mean.. what if he loves you?"

"Then it would be best for him to stop. You said yourself, I'm a jerk at least half the time."

"Yes, but you can be good too, and true sometimes it wasn't easy but then again it never is, Seto. Everyone fights sometimes but it doesn't mean that it would be better not to even try, if you both want it, you can work it out."

"I don't think I can and Mokuba, I would deny everything I said in here. Just to warn you."

"But you really love him, don't you?"

"Yes. I really do and that's why I have to stay away from him."

"It can't harm to see him every now and then and I can tell them, I got you under control with threats, so you are nice, you would have an excuse to try at least once as a friendship sort of way to get along."

"Will you give up getting me inside?"

"No and if you don't come along, I might say something wrong by mistake."

"You're the devil in person. You know that, right?"

"Sure. I am and now come, lets go see your little Puppy."

And so the two drove of to the Kame Game shop. Seto just hoped that it hadn't been a mistake to let Mokuba in on his secret, everyone that knew was a liability. And he didn´t have Mokuba under control like he had Ed, he could just hope now that Mokuba would stay quiet.

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**Please Review**


	11. Chapter 10

Spacial thanks again to Sasu-Sama' Sarukiji-Sempai and mednin for the reviews.

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**Chapter ten**

Seto and Mokuba arrived at the Kame Game shop shortly before it closed and it was empty at the moment, apart from Joey, Yami and Yugi. The limousine, the Kaiba brothers were currently still in, stopped right up front and Seto felt nervous. He still had Kai's words on his mind about how Joey had once reacted to dog comments. He was nervous, he always had picked on him and if he suddenly stopped. he might find out about his feelings and he couldn't risk that. But he didn't want to hurt him too much either and after what Kai had said he was already worried that he had done so the last time, but he didn't know what else to do.

"Do I really have to come in with you?" Seto asked, eyeing the game shop with a worried expression on his face. He was sort of glad not to have to hide it from Mokuba any more, he had never liked having secrets from his younger brother and hadn't been good in deceiving him, unlike with others.

"Since when are you so afraid of something, Seto? It's just Joey. You'll do just fine, don't worry. I'm there with you this time around. It will be just fine, and now come on." Mokuba gave him a bright smile and jumped out of the car ahead of him and Seto followed slowly. Only a few seconds later Mokuba was through the door, and Joey had an arm full of Mokuba this time around or rather, Mokuba had taken an armful of Puppy.

Seto noticed that by now the two had about the same size, Mukuba was just a tiny bit taller. Seto hadn't noticed just how much he had grown before, sure he noticed that he had but he hadn't seen him with many people and he himself was still taller. And since Mokuba was more or less finished with his growth by now, he would stay taller than his little brother. Seeing them hug felt strange to him. It hadn't with Yugi, who was a bit smaller and had looked like a hyper little child but it was with Mokuba, who might have been a little hyper in the car but was now just holding Joey protectively around the waist and smiling at him. And Joey smiled as well, even so he was too close to Mokuba to see his smile and rather cuddled against Mokuba. Even so Seto knew that Mokuba was his little brother and knew everything now and wanted him to end up with Joey, he still couldn't help but notice that for a moment they looked more like lovers than friends and seeing Mokuba like that with Joey for real, hurt even more as to imagine if Kai would. Maybe because he really saw them or maybe because it was his little brother he saw with Joey. But he had to fight the urge to walk over and just rip Mokuba away from his little puppy dog.

"Jeez, you got huge kid, you're taller than me by now, when did that happen?" Joey asked, leaning back but Mokuba was still holding him around the waist and Joey was a little blushed in the face. Was it because of Mokuba? Seto's hands were balled into fists and clenched so hard that the nails were digging into his skin. He fought to get them unclenched again and lose the jealous look, that he knew was all over his face. "Sure and you know why? Because I'm NOT a kid any more." Mokuba smiled at him and put one arm higher to pull him back in and he whispered something into his ear that caused Joey to blush again. Seto had an even harder time to keep his hands unclenched. _What the hell is he up to now? He wanted me to tell him my feelings and now HE is flirting with him? Why the hell is he doing this to me?" _Seto thought, once again close to rip the two from one another.

The pain Seto felt in that moment got even worse, when Joey leant forwards to whisper something to Mokuba. In return Mokuba grinned and winked once towards Joey, but then let go of the blond man in his arms. _What was that about? _Seto wondered, but had no chance to ask Mokuba in the shop. He just stayed in the background and watched as Mokuba looked towards the others, gave them a smile and said "Hey guys, long time no see. I guess I haven't been home for too long. How is it going with the two of you? Still head over heals?"

"Forever." Yami said with a wide grin, putting both arms around his smaller look-a-like´s waist. Yugi smiled too and added "You should know by now that nothing can separate us."

"Just checking. Seto used to say nothing is impossible, whenever he wanted to get something, he supposedly couldn't have. Even so he seemed to have changed his mind about that recently. There is something now, he thinks he will never get."

"Just because I choose to not get it, since it's simply for the better, not because it's impossible." Seto said. He didn't like the talk about him giving up on anything, he was Seto Kaiba and if he wanted something, he would get it no matter what and nothing would ever be able to stop him. Nothing but himself and in this case, he did just that for Joey's sake.

"That's stupid." Joey said looking on to the floor. "When you want 'something' you need to go for it! Or you will regret it like hell, once the chance to get it or to at least try, will just eat you alive."

Every pair of eyes was on Joey, it sounded like he was talking out of experience and it was possible. Maybe he had wanted something, before he disappeared or while he was gone and either couldn't get it during his time gone or not, since he came out of hiding. And if Seto interpreted the way he had said something, he rather meant someone. C_ould it be Kai he's talking about? If he wants him, he might think that his time for it is up, since they aren't living together at the moment and have by far less time together. _The thought hurt Seto and for a moment he just wanted to know the truth, no matter what would happen and so he asked: "That sounds like you know that feeling, what was it you couldn't get, let me guess.. everything?"

"SETO" Mokuba shouted. "Don't be mean or I'll stop talking to you for months, got that? Seto had to keep from smirking, that would be his excuse to be more or less nice to Joey, at least not mean. He could see from Mokuba's smile that he had intended just that.

But Joey ignored Mokuba's words and simply said "Just one thing I probably never could get, but didn't even dare to try. Even so I have never wanted anything more."

"Than why don't you try now? It can't be too late, can it?" Yami said and Yugi added "If we can we'll help you to get it, no matter what it is or what we have to do, we're one hundred percent behind you, pal."

"Thanks, but I don't think that anyone can help me with that, but I might try one day, once I have the courage to do it." Joey was still looking towards the floor and Seto knew about as much as before. What could it be that his Puppy wanted so desperately? If it could be bought, he would do so in a heartbeat but right now he only assumed that it wasn't a thing and so it would be hard to help him, even if he could find out what his Puppy wanted.

"Why are you afraid? What's the worst that could happen?" Mokuba asked the blond, obviously not willing to give up, much to Seto's pleasure. He wanted to know what his Puppy was longing for so much.

"That I know, that I will never have a chance for certain that and a lot of pain, since I assume I would get beaten up, if I´d try it the way I would like to. But listen, just forget it. I will try but I'm waiting for a chance. I need to talk to someone alone and then I´ll try. I wanted to the other day, even so I wasn't alone with him but I something made it impossible and now I decided to try when I'm alone with him."

"Alone with him?" Yugi nearly squeaked "OMG you're in love. Who is it? Who is the guy? Did you meet him while you were gone? Or before? Come on, tell me!" Yugi was nearly jumping up and down in front of Joey, watching him and waiting for an answer, Seto assumed and so did he. This was his chance to find out who the blond Pup loved, who it was that held his precious heart and who he needed to keep an eye on, to ensure he would never hurt his little Puppy. Seto noticed a worried look on the blonds face and that he eyed him once, just for a second and then looked away swiftly. _What was that about?_ Seto wondered I_s he worried to say anything in front of me, okay he thinks I hate him to some degree but not so much as to mess anything up, for all he knows he should assume that I don't care. So why that look? _

Seto watched Joey, while he looked around the room once more. This time avoiding his eyes, much to Seto's dismay. It took a while till Joey finally said "I don't really want to say that right now, like I said I doubt I will ever have a chance, and I know him from back in school. That's why I thought I'll never have another chance to try, since I thought I couldn't ever see him again."

_Jeez, what the hell do I have to do to make the guy talk? _Seto thought. He wanted to know with whom his Puppy was in love with. All he knew right now, was that it was a guy and that it wasn't Kai, like he had assumed before. But who else could it be?

"But how will you get the courage to tell him, if you can't even tell your friends?" Yugi said, the disappointment evident in his voice. _Good one,_ Seto thought. T_hat might help, especially since my cute Pup hates it to look afraid of anything and usually he isn't._

"I will I just, I can't really explain but you'll understand why I can't tell right now at some point." Joey said with a big smile on his face and added "Anyway I think my shift is over, right? I mean I'd love to stay and chat a bit especially since you're here Mokuba but I said I'd meet a friend after work. So I'll have to leave now. Maybe I'll see you around before you're off again."

"Just stop by the mansion some time tomorrow, okay? I'd love to chat with you a bit more, maybe in private." Mokuba said and once again Seto could feel the pain of jealousy in him. Even so he hoped that he might get to see Joey then, too.

"Sure, can't wait. See ya then. Bye guys." And with that Joey walked out of the Game shop. _At least this time we haven't fought _Seto thought, as he looked after Joey, certain that he was running towards Kai. At least now he knew that Joey did not love him. But Kai might be in love with Joey, it would explain the protectiveness he showed and Joey's feelings could change even if he had lived with Kai for a long time and still didn't have romantic feelings towards him. Seto stayed, while Mokuba talked to Yugi and Yami, hardly listening. He was thinking about his blond Puppy the whole time and who it might be, that he was in love with. Maybe Tristan? The two of them had been close in school, especially before they had befriended Yugi. But Tristan was with Duke, so Joey really had no chance and he must know that by now. So he probably wouldn't have tried. Was it Mokuba, maybe? It would explain why he hadn't said anything and even if they haven't been to school together, they knew each other since then and the way they had been a little earlier still worried Seto a little. But then again Mokuba had been a little kid back then. Joey couldn't have been in love with him back then, could he?

All Seto wanted right now was to get home and into his bed. He had been working and watching his Puppy too much and needed some rest. Maybe then he would be able to figure this mess out. Even Seto Kaiba couldn't go with just two hours of sleep a night forever and now that the interesting part with Joey was over, he had a hard time keeping his eyes open.

Seto had just decided to go home and tell Mokuba that he would go ahead and send another driver to pick him up, as one of his phones vibrated. It was the one he would only use for Ed, which meant it was about Joey. Yugi and Yami were still in the room but Seto was sure that as long as he watched what he said, he should be safe. Since it was normal for a CEO to have at least one business phone, he picked up.

"What is it and make it short, I'm busy." Seto said as soon as he picked up. He didn't need to check who it was.

"Hello Mr. Kaiba, I'm sorry to interrupt but it's an emergency. Mr. Wheeler got hit by a car and is on his way to Domino General Hospital. He was unconscious and didn't look good."

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**Please Review**


	12. Chapter 11

Special thanks to mednin for the constant support and reviews.

And to warn you Seto is a little OOC but after all love can change you, some people say so, I use that as an excuse :P

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**Chapter eleven**

Seto was in shock, he just stared ahead eyes wide and a shaking hand still raised like he was still holding the phone which in reality had been dropped to the floor, the second he had heard what Ed had said. He couldn't believe it. Joey was hurt! Just a little more than a week after he had found him, he hadn't even entered the apartment he had gotten for him and now he was on his way to the hospital after getting hit by a car. He was unconscious and didn't look good. What did it mean, didn't look good? Would he be all right or not? Would he lose him forever, after he had just found him? After spending year after year, trying to find him, never giving up and finally succeeding in it, just to lose him forever with no chance of getting him back? It was just not fair, it just couldn't be true. It must be a nightmare, he couldn't lose Joey so suddenly after everything he had done to find him.

He felt a hand connect to his face hard and looked down, he wasn't mad just surprised and it snapped him out of the shock a tiny bit. "Come on Seto, snap out of it please. We have to get moving, you need to get to him. He needs you, come on big bro, move it." Mokuba said urgently, standing in front of his older brother. Seto finally noticed the phone in Mokuba's hand and realised that he wasn't holding it any more. He lowered his still shaking hand, slowly staring blank into his younger brother´s face, hardly realizing what he had said. "Come on Seto, this is not like you, snap out of it. He needs you now, you need to snap out of this, Seto, come on! Get moving." Seto heard the words but still couldn't understand, he couldn't believe that it was true, that this was not just a nightmare that would end any second. That he wouldn't wake up in his room, in his big white bed, being able to look out the window over the garden. He had to wake up! This had to be a nightmare but he was still here, still hearing Mokuba's voice, urging him to get moving, that he needed to get to the hospital.

"What's wrong, Mokuba? Can we help?" Seto looked slowly towards the voice and only after seeing the small spiky haired boy, did he realise that it was Yugi who had said it and that he looked worried towards himself. That's when he noticed something running down his cheeks, it took him another moment to realize that it was his own tears he felt running down. He hadn't cried like that in such a long time. maybe a tear here or there, when he was really down but he hadn´t really cried with so many tears, still there was no sound from him. He was still in shock, he still couldn't believe that Joey really was hurt that bad. That he might lose him, he didn't want to believe that it was true.

"Yes, please help me get him into the limousine and can you come with us? Please, I think I will need some help with Seto." Mokuba's voice said again. Seto slowly looked to him again, still with tears running down his face. "Joey" He wanted to shout, to scream, to call him, to make him come just to see that this wasn't true but his voice failed him. He just moved his lips but still no sound. "Come on big brother, snap out of it, please. Joey needs you."

"What's wrong with Joey? You said, he needs to snap out of it for Joey, why? What is it?" Again another voice and again, Seto couldn't recognise it at first. But this was different, this voice had said something important, something he wanted, something he needed. It had said Joey! He was about to look at whoever owned the voice, still not being able to grasp that Joey was really hurt and that it wasn't a nightmare, he was still waiting to wake up to a morning that just didn't want to come. But before he even got around to move his head towards the voice that had said this important name, he heard Mokuba again: "I'll tell you in the car, just please help me, Yami please. We need to get Seto moving." After that Seto could feel that he was pushed and turned and grabbed by multiple hands. Again he tried to say "Joey", to call for him but nothing came out, no voice. Just tears running silently down his face, as he was pushed out of a door, across a walkway and into a limousine.

"What's wrong now? Please Mokuba, if anything happened to Joey, you need to tell us!" the same voice like before said the name Seto longed for. But he didn't want to hear the name, he wanted the person. He looked towards the voice, hoping to see the owner of the name, instead of the owner of the voice but all that was there, was a spiky haired young man, a little taller than the slightly smaller look-alike next to him. "He had an accident, he's on the way to the hospital or probably already there, that's all I know. The one on the phone didn't know any more either." It was Mokuba's voice, slowly Seto started to recognise the voices again. But he still didn't want to believe that this was really happening.

"Will he be all right?" Yugi asked, his voice overflowing with worry.

"I don't know. I've never seen him like this, not once! No matter what had happened." Mokuba said, with even more worry in his voice as Yugi had.

_What is he talking about, never seen him like that? He hadn't seen Joey, yet. How can he say that, what does he mean? _Seto didn't understand, even so his mind slowly recovered from the shock he had gotten. He tried again "Joey", he needed to know what Mokuba knew. What had he meant by "I've never seen him like that"? Seto was pleased with his effort, he heard his voice, small not audible for anyone else, they where too far away and the sound of the car was still overpowering his weak voice but he had made a sound again. He tried again "Joey," and this time Mokuba heard him.

"He'll be fine, I'm sure of it, you know him Seto! One small car can't take out Joey, can it?" Mokuba sounded hopeful again, hardly any worry left and that's when it clicked in Seto's head. They hadn't worried as much about Joey as about his reaction. After all Joey would be all right. It was Joey after all and he had been through so much and still always pulled through. One little car couldn't hurt him, Mokuba was right. It was silly to react like he did and it was not like Seto Kaiba to lose it. He had to get a grip on himself.

He took a few deep breaths and then said "Once we arrive, you three go ahead and find Joey. I'll find out more and join you." Seto was glad to hear that his voice was strong and steady again. He needed to be strong, now more than ever. Joey needed him. And he needed to talk to Yugi and Yami, the way they smirked at each other they had figured his secret out. No surprise there, the way he had lost it over Joey. "What are you smirking at each other for?" Seto asked, knowing full well that it had to do with his secret but needing to be sure about it as well as a good start into the subject.

"We're just happy that we won a bet." Yami said grinning widely. A bet? A bet? Joey got hit by a car and is in the hospital in god knows what state and he is thinking about a stupid bet? Seto thought, giving him one of his death glares "What bet?" he asked, just to see where this conversation would lead to. It might still be about him and Joey. And much to his dismay it was.

"We had a bet with Tristan, Duke and Joey about possible candidates for his secret rich guy. And we had our bet on you from the start. We knew that you've fallen head over heals for him for a long time but when Yugi told Joey, he just laughed." Yami explained and Yugi had the same annoyed face he had, when Joey had laughed in the game shop on his first day, seeing them back. So it might have been there that Yugi had talked about his suspicion and if he had, Joey hadn't believed him.

"Okay, I admit it was me all along, but be good and don't tell him, at least not yet. I'm not ready for him to know and worry that he might not accept any help from me, since we never really got along. And I doubt that he would believe you right now anyway and I will deny it all, understood?"

"Fine, at least for now but not forever. He is our friend and he has a right to know." Yugi said and Yami nodded in agreement, just as they arrived at the hospital. Mokuba, Yami and Yugi left for the inside, while Seto who had spotted Ed standing outside, walked right up to him. "How is he?"

"They won't say much since it's all confidential and I doubt they will tell you. But his mother and sister are on their way, so they can ask and I can find out then if you want me to. But since you are in thouch with him, it might not be necessary. I do know whatsoever that he is currently having an operation and that he has a lot of internal bleeding. I also know, that one leg is definitely broken and badly, really badly. I'm not sure if they can save it, it looked almost crushed. I'm sorry, that I have nothing more than that. But I assume that until after the operation they can't say much either." Ed looked worried, maybe partly for his boss, too. He hadn't seen his reaction over the phone, but did know that he was suddenly gone from the phone, replaced by Mokuba and even so Seto hadn't even heard Mokuba talking on the phone, hell he hadn't even noticed that he had dropped it, Seto was still certain that Mokuba must have been worried after seeing Seto reacting so badly.

"Thanks, please listen around the hospital and try to find out more, I´ll contact you later." After having said that, Seto went inside the hospital. He knew where the waiting area for the operations where so he went there. Upon reaching his destination, he saw Mokuba as well as the two spiky haired young men. They didn't look quite as hopeful and relaxed as before. "I assume they didn't tell you much?" he just said, before they could ask if he had found something out.

"Just that he is in there and that it doesn't look too good for him." Mokuba said, hoping that Seto would not get into another shock state.

"Same here, but I know a little more. He has some internal bleeding, they are trying to stop it as we speak. They´re also trying to save his leg that is visibly broken, it looked rather crushed I heard and might be beyond saving but it's not sure. Right now nothing is sure, not until the operation is over. It depends on how this operation goes it seems. I also know that Serenity and their mother are on their way over and they will get more information from the doctors, so we'll just have to wait for them. I'll go back out and see if I can get them here faster I will also call Tristan and Duke. They would want to be informed, I guess." Mokuba as well as Yami and Yugi looked at him in surprise. "What are you staring at me for?" he asked them.

"It's nothing, just earlier you got so freaked and now you're back to usual, all business like and cool. It surprised us a little." Mokuba said, still looking more worried than surprised, so it was a little of that too, it seemed.

"I'm fine, I would have been fine from the beginning if I hadn't have a few nights with nearly no sleep and it caught me off guard, as I was just thinking about having a rest since I could hardly keep my eyes open but I'm more awake now after the little shock and I'm fine, so don't worry. I mean, honestly, it's not like me to freak out on you like that, now it happens once and you keep looking at me like it could happen any second again." Seto said and turned to leave right after that. He went outside again, taking another deep breath. It wasn't easy to stay calm but he kept chanting to himself _Joey is tough, Joey will make it, Joey is tough, Joey will make it._ He knew Joey could make it, even if the odds were against him, he always had luck on his side and Seto was sure it would help him this time around, too. If it hadn't been for Joey's luck and his strength that he had proven with all he had been through, Seto could not have been so cool. And it was only on the outside, he was still afraid of losing him so soon after finding him and he was still wishing to wake up from this nightmare. But by now he knew it wasn't really a nightmare as much as he hoped it to be.

Seto took another deep breath, before phoning Serenity first. He was happy that Mokuba had saved all the numbers of the geek squat into his phone once and that Serenity's was one of them.

"Where are you?" He asked as soon as she picked up.

"I'm on my way to Joey. Do you know something? Is he okay?" She asked. Seto could hear how worried she sounded and wasn't surprised. After all her brother was in the hospital after getting hit by a car and she had no idea how he was.

"I don't know much, they don't want to tell me since I'm not family but I know that they are operating him as we speak and I assume they don't even know much until after. Where exactly are you and do you need help to get here faster?"

"No, I think we're fine. We should be there tomorrow morning at the latest. You think he'll make it?"

"Sure, he will. A street mutt like him is tough and with his ridiculous luck I wouldn't get rid of him, even if I wanted to. Don't worry, you know Joey. He'll pull through." Seto tried to sound reassuringly but had to fight the tears never the less and kept chanting _Joey is tough, Joey will make it, Joey is tough, Joey will make it._

"Thanks Seto, for making me feel better. And thanks for being there for him. I'll see you soon, okay."

"Okay, see you." Seto ended the call and phoned Roland instead of Tristan and Duke. They probably would get worried and might not be careful on their way. He just would let Roland pick them up with the news and keep an eye on them. And he could take Kai too, on his way. Joey had probably still been on his way to meet with him and he must be worried by now. And no matter how much that guy could irritate him, he had guts and he had been protective towards Joey and he had to give him some credit for that. And Joey might need his friends, and he would get whatever Joey needed.

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**Please Review**


	13. Chapter 12

Spacial thanks to Sasu-Sama' Sarukiji-Sempai for the reviews.

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**Chapter twelve**

Seto sat on the chair in Joey's room and looked at his sleeping Puppy. He was attached to an unbelievable amount of machines. For heart rate, one counted how often and deep he was breathing and another how much oxygen was in his blood and he also got extra oxygen. And there were a lot of other machines that Seto didn't know the meaning of. Even without a doctor telling him, he could see that Joey was in a bad condition and the big bruises he could even see in his face and on his arms were probably the smallest of their concerns. He was pale as the bed sheets, at least the not bruised skin was. The only good thing was that he was breathing on his own even if not as regular as Seto would have liked it. Every now and then there would be a stop for a split second but he would start again with a stuttered breath and find his regular breathing again. All Seto could do in such moments was to watch and pray that he would start fast and take a deep breath himself, or scream for help if needed. Joey was bandaged nearly from head to toe, he had one around his head with some blond strands sticking out and had the left arm in a cast and the knee on the left leg was in a cast as well and looked swollen pretty bad. The left side looked worse with bruises, too. So he must have gotten hit on that one and he also had a few scratches and plasters and bandages on his right arm and leg, too. But they weren't swollen like the left knee was. The knee worried Seto, he knew that a bad break at a knee could compromise Joey's ability to move it for ever and he just hoped that they had fixed it up properly.

It was night by now and all the others were gone. Kai had stayed the longest, while Seto had gone to do some work when Joey had still been in the operation. The waiting had been too hard for him with nothing to do. He had needed some distraction or he knew he would have either gone back into a shock like trance or he would have completely lost his mind. Even now it was hard for him to just sit there, absolutely helpless, while his Puppy might still be fighting for his life. The doctors had said nothing to them, so he had no idea if Joey was pulling through or about to die. All he knew was, he hadn't woken up at all. At least he didn't look like he was in pain, likely he was on drugs to keep him from feeling any pain. Maybe that was the reason that he was still sleeping too, but maybe it was more, maybe he was dying and too weak to pull through. He had been through a lot recently and getting hit by a car and the way Joey looked, the car had not been slow, so even if Joey was strong, maybe it was still not enough.

Seto wished he could punish someone but he couldn't. Who should he punish? The driver was even younger then Joey and just had gotten the licens less then a year before he had driven below speed limit but had no experience with the ice and snow that had been present again. the streets had been mostly cleared and most drivers including Seto as he had to admit wouldn't even have been slower then limit. But there had been a little bit of ice before the lights Joey had crossed and the still young drivers break didn't work on the ice and he lost control on top of that panicked and considering Ed got a bad shock himself and is phoning the hospital every 10 minutes hoping himself that the poor guy is going to make it. Seto had decided that it would be even for him too cruel to make the driver feel worth since the guilt might be punishment enough but still he swore to himself that if Joey wouldn't make it he would never let the guy forget that Joey died.

Seto tried to stop these thoughts by distracting himself. But there wasn't much in the room he could do, so he started counting. He counted how often Joey breathed in, before stopping for a moment and counted just to see how far he could go, all the while prying that the number of breaths before stopping would increases and that he wouldn't be able to count as much in between as before over time. It was hard to see a trend since Joey sometimes breathed normal for a rather long time and then very short again, but after two hours of constant counting, he noticed that in the past half hour the trend seemed to be getting better than at the first half hour.

And even better, the counting helped him to block the fear out, to ignore the pain at seeing Joey hurt and broken in front of him and counting and calculating the trend of his Puppy's breathing made him feel less helpless, too. And even more importantly he was so focused on the counting it kept him awake even when he felt like he could fall asleep any second. While he counted, he also touched one of Joey's fingers with his own. Very gently, just a little at the top. He didn't dare to really hold the blond's hand or move his own hand anywhere over Joey's bruised skin, out of fear to hurt his personal sleeping beauty any further.

Towards the morning Seto could feel that it got increasingly harder to keep his eyes open. He needed some rest but refused to go until at least one other person was here. And Mokuba said he would be back early that morning and then he would leave for a while. He didn't dare to leave Joey alone, even with all the machines. He wanted someone to have an eye on him as well, just in case a warning signal started from the machines and no nurse was in hearing range. There needed to be a person to call for help. Even if it was just another excuse to make himself feel less helpless.

At 5 the door opened and this time it wasn't a nurse to check on Joey, it was Serenity who looked pale and worried. Seto's heart raced a mile ahead. She was family of Joey's, so she would be told more than he was. She might know how his Puppy was doing. Only Seto wasn't sure if he was ready to be told. He definetely was, if the news where good but the worried look on the by now young woman's face did not support the hope for good news.

Seto took a very deep breath before forcing the words he needed to ask out. "How bad is he?"

"You don't know yet? I always thought you could find everything out." She said with a weak smile.

"So did I, but the doctors are stubborn and won't tell a thing to me since I'm not part of his family." Seto looked to the floor "I know a bit but the doctors won't tell anything, so it's not very much. Will you tell me please?" He asked as polite as he could, after all she knew about how Joey felt and how bad they always fought. So Seto felt the need to be extra polite out of fear that she won't tell him. Talking to her like this, showing how worried he was, might let her find out his secret and even Yami and Yugi had been reluctant in keeping quiet and only temporary agreed on it. Serenity probably wouldn't at all. But he needed to know what his puppy had and just hoped for the best, by which he could life with being found out as long as Joey would still accept the help, even if it might be hard to talk him into it. And even if not, at least he was a live and that was all Seto cared for and he needed to know he would be.

"It doesn't look too good. But as long as he wakes up soon, he'll be all right. The doctors are still worried that he might fall into a coma but so far he's just unconscious and all things considered, that's normal. The only really bad news is that his leg was broken very badly and open on top. It was a lot of dirt in it and pieces of his bone were out. He also got so weak during the operation that his heart had stopped beating twice and they had to reanimate him. One more time and they would have taken the leg off. They got the wound cleaned and the bones set, so he would at least not have any pressure on the nerves and the bleeding was stopped there, too. But he was to weak to do anything more and his leg will be completely stiff for now, maybe with another operation it can be fixed but he needs to be fit first and even with that the odds that he regains full movement in the leg are slim. The best he can really hope for, is being able to walk with one stick. But if it gets infected they might still need to take it off."

"But he'll survive right?" Seto needed to have it confirmed one more time, the leg didn't matter as long as he got to keep his Puppy. He couldn't care less about the leg, he would do what ever he could to help Joey with whatever problems it would bring him, as long as he would just stay alive.

"It looks like he might still fall into a coma and then they won't know what happens, and you probably know that it might mean that he will never wake up." In that moment Joey stopped breathing again for a moment longer than the times before, it was the first time Serenity noticed the break in breathing right before the stuttered first breath and she looked worried. "Does he do that often?" She asked him.

"Too often, if you ask me, but it gets better I think. The first half an hour I counted an average of 27 breaths in between breaks, the last half an hour were 33, so he is breathing 6 times more at average." Serenity looked at him bewildered. "You're counting?" She asked, like it was the last thing she had suspected him to do, and it probably was. But after a moment of surprise she smiled and said "You should have told him that you love him too."

This in turn caught Seto by surprise, _TOO, that I love him TOO, does that mean he loved me? Had he meant ME in the shop as he talked about his crush? Was that the reason he hadn't told his friends who he loved because I was there? It couldn't be, could it?_ Seto thought, unable to say anything about it. He just stared at Serenity with wide opened eye's, like she was some sort of mirage. She watched him for a moment and then giggled a little and said "It seems like there are a few more things that even a Seto Kaiba wasn't aware of." Seto just stared for a while longer and then looked at Joey and mumbled "It can't be."

"Why not? You love him, even with all the fights.. or you fight because you love him? Why is it so impossible that one of this reasons apply to him as well? Trust me, he does. He told me so once, it's a while ago. It was before he disappeared, shorty before actually but I know him, he loved you so much and I'm sure he still does. And he did talk about you on the phone after he reappeared so suddenly. He still loves you, I'm sure of it."

Seto stared down onto the sleeping Pup in front of him with yet another tear running down his cheek. If what Serenity had said was true, and she had no reason to lie, then Joey had spoken about him in the game shop and really did still love him. And sure enough he had ruined it all. What was it again he had said "... I tried, I wanted to the other day. Even so I wasn't alone with him but I... something made it impossible and now I decided to try, when I'm alone with him." He had wanted to confess the first time they saw each other again, the day he had insulted him. _Great I messed up again, why do I even bother talking to anyone at all? It would be better for Joey if he wouldn't love a jerk like me. It would be better if he loved someone that can actually deal with people outside of a business setting, I'm just not good enough for him._ Seto was thinking about what to do when joey wakes up, trying not to think about the possibility he might never wake up. If Joey loved him, it would probably hurt him if he himself was to avoid him, even more so if Joey would confess first. He just couldn't safe his Puppy from pain, unless he tried to manage being with him, without hurting him and he wasn't sure if he could. He was so often at a lost for words, he had such a bad temper and he knew it and wanted desperately to spare Joey from having to deal with it. But if he´d really loved him all that time, then what could he do, other than at least give it a chance? Joey could always leave him, if he had hurt him too much. And maybe they could work out, if both really wanted it and if he really tried, maybe he could avoid hurting him too much. Or Joey could tell him if he did something wrong and he could try to make it up to him and tell him that he didn't mean to. As long as Seto could keep his temper and his pride in check it might just work, hopefully.

Serenity sat on the other chair in the room, and Seto continued counting, not saying another word, not knowing once again what to say. He had never been good at small talk and this wasn't exactly a great situation to be in. Having the blond unconscious in the room didn't give either one a comfortable feeling. Seto counted until Mokuba came into the room, seeing Serenity and asking immediately how Joey was? She gave him a short version of what she had told Seto, only saying "His knee might never work properly again and if it gets infected he'll lose the leg. But he as long as he doesn't fall into coma, he'll survive for sure."

Seto felt Mokuba's worried look on himself, he knew his little brother well enough to know why. He probably looked like hell and really needed his bed, even if he was still worried he couldn't stay awake forever and so he said "I know Mokuba, no need to tell me. I look like hell and need to go and get some rest, right?"

"No, hell is too nice and bright to describe you right now, honestly big bro a zombie looks better than you right now and you definetely need to rest but I'm worried whether or not you can make it to your bed."

"Don't be silly, of course I can. I'll see you later and call me if there is anything new here, understood?" Seto saw Mokuba nod before he stood up, looking down to the sleeping form of his beloved blond pup. He remembered having heard about a theory, that even if someone is unconscious, they could still hear what went on around them to some degree and that you should for that only say positive things. He had never believed it, but after all that had happened with Yami and Yugi and duel monsters in his life, he just couldn't brush it up that easily and it might be once again be something, that he could still do for his Puppy. He leaned down close to his Puppy's ear and whispered very quietly, so only he would hear it, if he could. "Please come back to me soon, I miss you. I love you so much and don't want to lose you, after all I´ve just found you. So, please come back. You need to give out to me for not telling you it was me, who found you and gave you the apartment and you need to check your account, there is a surprise. So wake up fast, MY puppy." And after that he brushed his lips gently over Joey's once, to steal a tiny peck on his lips before leaving the room.

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**Please Review and let me know how you would like it to continue should I let Joey wake up or fall in a coma for a while or should I let him lose a leg (poor Joey you better stop me from that one.)  
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	14. Chapter 13

Joey: Thanks to Angel Dove and Sasu-Sama' Sarukiji-Sempai for their pleading. I get to keep my leg! At least for now so please don't let her change her mind it's still an option!

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**Chapter thirteen**

Seto was once again sitting in the chair to the right of his Puppy's bed. The accident was half a year ago. Joey had been in a coma ever since and it didn't look like he was going to wake up any time soon. Since the accident, Seto had been in the hospital every single night for at least a few hours. He worked during the day and slept a bit before going into work and after work before going into the hospital. And if you could believe the doctors he might never wake up and the machines where pointless, even so he did still breath on his own even more regular than before and his heart worked without help, too. But he was fed with an IV and would not be able to live without it. But Seto would do anything to keep his Puppy alive, he needed him he couldn't let go even if it was selfish. Seto just sat there on his chair, this time holding his hand. After all the wounds all healed a long time ago. The leg was completely stiff but it hadn't gotten infected and was healed for now. They hadn't risked to set it while Joey was in a coma. They were too worried that he´d just fall deeper into the coma and stopped breathing and his heartbeat might stop, too. The risk had been too much in their opinion and since Joey needed to sign for it now, since it wasn't an emergency operation they couldn't have done it anyway.

Seto saw the moonlight shining on his Puppy's beautiful face and once again felt helpless and this time around he couldn't even count anything really. So all he could do was watching the beauty in front of him, unable to help and unable to do anything at all but to watch and pray that he would wake up soon. That he would wake up from his coma and not lie there like he was already death, pale and unmoving the only prove for him still having some life in, being him the peeping of the heart monitor and the quiet breathing. Like every night for the past half year he pleaded with his Puppy and said "Please Joey please wake up don't leave me again. I miss you so much my love. I need you, please come back to me."

All Seto could do was to pray that soon he would once again be able to hear his voice and look into those honey brown eyes and see the smile that outshone even the sun. Seto took another deep breath and couldn't believe that once again he needed to fight the tears from coming down his face. It wasn't like him to cry like a baby and he hated to look weak but he was terrified for Joey to never wake up, to have lost his only hope to be with him, he was afraid that he had already lost him with no chance of finding him this time. He didn't know how he should deal with it, if he really would never wake up from the coma and maybe even die, without ever waking up. "Please wake up Pup, please don't leave me behind, my love." He whispered and laid his head next the their hands onto the bed. His lips gently kissing the tip of Joey's fingers. He closed his eyes, trying to imagine how it would be if Joey opened his eyes. Seto prayed for it to happen but at the same time feared it a little and hoped it would happen after he had left and one of his friends was at his side. Even after what Serenity had said, even after deciding to give them a chance, to give himself a chance at being with the one he loved and feared to hurt him with it, he was still worried. Serenity could have been wrong, Joey could have fallen for another guy shortly before he disappeared or just having said to Serenity that it was him, so she wouldn't find out who he really loved. If that's the case, it was most likely Tristan or Duke, since both of them used to hit on her and Joey might have been to embarrassed to tell his sister that he loved a man, that loved her. That she was his competition.

He hoped it wasn't the case, he hoped that once he was awake, he would get to kiss him for real this time. Not a stolen one, like the first time he had left him for the day. Not one where he hardly dared to touch his lips of fear to hurt him. He wanted to kiss him till he was breathless but knew that even if he woke up, he couldn't do that just yet. He was still weak, after all he had been in a coma and been unmoving for two years. It was like he was gone again for them, just this time Joey wasn't anywhere for him. The time would be stolen. He had come close to losing him twice in a row. First when he was in hiding and now to the car, he needed to be careful with his puppy until he had his strength back and not risk losing him again. Still he couldn't help but imagine what a future, in which he was with his beautiful Puppy, might hold.

When Seto opened his eyes, he was holding his Puppy in his arms on his own bed and they were kissing Seto could feel his Puppy's hands on his own chest gently wandering over his skin he felt Joey's lips on his neck nibbling and sucking and enjoyed the skilled lips of his Pup. He was happy and wished it would be like that for all eternity. "Don't worry Seto no matter what happens I'll always come back to you." the blond in his arms whispered. "I don't want you to come back" Seto said and saw surprise and pain in his puppy's face so he tried to explain and added "To come back you would need to go and I don't want you to go in the first place." A smile formed on the younger ones face and he said "Silly I already was gone, but I won't leave you again. I promise." Seto felt the hand ruffle his hair for some reason. Part of him wanted to say 'don't mess up my hair' but it felt so good that he just closed his eyes for a moment.

The next thing Seto suddenly noticed, after he opened his eyes again, was that the light had changed ever so slightly. The sky was brightening up. He must have fallen asleep without even noticing, it had been a dream his Puppy in his bed in his arms, all a dream and Seto was still in the same position, still with his head next to Joey his hand in... and that was when he noticed that the light wasn't all that had changed. His hand might still be next to Joey, but it was empty, Joey's was no longer in it. Joey's finger where instead moving slowly through his brown hair, just at the front, ruffling it just like in the dream. How could it be? He couldn't move it at all for more than half a year, but he did now. Seto stayed in the same position for a short moment, once again unsure of what he should do next.

But even so he was unsure if it was right, he still needed to see if Joey was truly awake. He needed to see his eyes, so he moved his head up slowly, staring down onto the face of his beloved Puppy, looking right into half lidded, tired looking honey brown eyes. "You're awake." Was all Seto could get out as he pressed a button to call for a nurse. "Jeez moneybags, you really have a way to state the obvious." Joey said with a small smile. His voice was weak since he hadn't used it for so long, but Seto could understand him well enough and couldn't help but smile at the joking tone his Puppy already had. It seemed like it really did take more than one car to get him down. At least in the long term "I was just surprised, after all it took you long enough." Seto couldn't help but tease him a little. But kept smiling lovingly at the blond beauty in front of him. Finally not a sleeping beauty any more.

"Could you maybe be so kind and tell me how long that was and what the hell happened in the first place? I mean, I get that I'm in a hospital." Joey asked, causing Seto to get nervous again. He didn't want to be the one to tell him about his leg, bad enough that he probably couldn't get around telling him how much he had missed again. So he decided to just tell him what had happened to him and not what the doctors had said. "It was just half a year, I know its a long time but it could have been worse. And had no one ever told you to be careful when you cross a street, you got hit by a car." Seto took his hand again, very gently having his own more under it than really holding onto it. But Joey squeezed his gently and he held on a bit more too after that.

"Why are you here? I mean, I always thought if I ever end up in a hospital and be out for a while, well I thought you would be the last one I see when I wake up." Seto saw a blush spreading over his skin and had to smile. It just sounded too cute, in his opinion and Seto knew that didn't mean much but the blond sounded a little unsure, but his Puppy seemed to be happy that he was there. At the same time Seto got even more nervous, for this was the moment he had feared, the moment to tell his puppy the truth, it was now or never. "Why wouldn't it be me?" He asked, trying to get a little more time to find the right words. To say it the right way, so Joey would understand and so he wouldn't upset his sick and weak little Puppy.

"Why not? I thought you're the one for the obvious? I mean, you hate me everyone knows that. It so obvious that you do. And yet you're here and didn't even unplug any of the peeping machines that get even on my nerves." Seto saw him looking angrily at the heart monitor that gave a little peep for every heart beat, and only said "They don't get on my nerves, I actually started to love that peep." Joey looked at him confused and said: "How can anyone love that peep? But at least it explains why you're here, even so it is strange to stay in a hospital too hear a peep."

Now it was Seto's turn to look confused. Okay, he had said that he liked the peep but even Joey couldn't think he would stay just for a peeping noise. His brain must still be only half awake. Seto thought for another moment about how to explain, pressing the button for the nurse once more, wondering why no one came to give him a second to think about his words. "I'm not here for the peep and I love the peep because every one is a prove that you are still alive." Now Joey looked even more confused.

"Okay and again why do you like that? I mean you hate me. You always did." Seto took a deep breath, there was still no flipping nurse. What the hell were they doing? If this would have been an emergency, Joey might have died by now, so why the hell is it taking them so long? "What makes you think that I hate you?"

Joey rolled his eyes a little, but not much since they where still half lidded and still looked tiered. Which caused Seto to once again wonder, where the hell the nurse was and he pressed the button for the third time. "Okay, I take that back, with you having to state the obvious. You always fight with me, call me dog names and tell me I'm worthless and need to learn my place. You always look down on me with everything. Need anything else why I know you hate me?" Seto looked him in the eyes for a moment, thinking about how to explain that one. He knew why he had acted like that but even Mokuba had seemed to not really get his point. How was he expecting Joey to get why he had picked on him? An example might be the best, one that was recent at least for him and maybe the easiest to understand.

"Do you remember when we met in the Game shop? I mean, the first time you saw me after your little disappearance stunt?"

"Sure, that was one of the many times you were picking on me, which is my point exactly."

"I know, but do you remember before I started the dog comments? You were down and didn't want to say what had happened while you were gone and you looked lost and sad and just helpless and to be honest I wanted to make you feel better, but I didn't know how or what to say. I had never been good with comforting someone, ask Mokuba, he will be able to confirm that I made him feel worse more often than not, when I tried to comfort him. So I thought that instead of making you feel less down by comforting, I just take your mind off things and get you all feisty again, that's why I said that then." Seto blushed a little, he knew it wasn't the normal way to deal with things but it was what he had done and what he thought had been the best at the moment. And he still believed it to have worked. Joey looked at him in disbelieve and said: "Just so I get this right, you insulted me to make me feel better?"

Seto looked him in the eyes and had to admit: "It does sound a little strange when you put it that way, but yes that was the plan."

"Sounds a little strange?" Joey asked and continued with: "It's more than a little strange. Man, if that was the idea your strange mind came up with, then something in there is way off, like your brain isn't wired right. But to be honest, it did get me into a different mood, not happy.. far from it, but not so down either so, thanks, but please don't try that again. But now lets say I got the point and I'm not sure I totally get your high wired brain but lets say I do and believe that you don't hate me, I still don't understand why you stayed here during the night and say things like that you like this stupid peeping sound just because it proves I'm alive."

Once again Seto took a deep breath, he just didn't know how to say it best, so he had to just say it blunt as it was. He had to say that he was there because he loved him but in that moment the nurse finally entered the room, holding a cup of coffee, so instead he said "What the hell took you so long? I pressed the button three times and still had to wait! What if it would have been an emergency? You're lucky he is awake or I would make sure that you´d never find a job as a nurse in your life again, you incompetent fool." The nurse flinched under the death stare that came with his angry words and quickly said: "I'm sorry, I assumed you just wanted another coffee like the other times you called during the nights, I'll go and get a doctor immediately, it will only take a second." And with that she put the coffee down on a table close to the door and rushed out.

"Poor nurse", Joey mumbled "She was so nice to get you a coffee and you shout at her and you really shouldn't use them as your personal butler, they have better things to do, you know?" Seto watched his face, worried that he might be angry with him but he had a little smile around his lips, so Seto thought he could tease him a little "I needed to stay awake somehow and didn't want to leave you. At least not until I have a leash to make sure my cute Pup doesn't run in front of a car again."

Joey looked at him in confusion again and said: "Thanks for getting back to the topic at hand, how can you make dog jokes and call me cute at the same time? And why have you been here so many nights? It sounded nearly like every night."

Seto looked him deep into the honey eyes and hoped that he had thought of the right words to say. He needed to say more than just "I love you", he wanted him to know everything now. He wanted him to know that it was him that had helped him and that had gotten him off the street. He wanted him to be the one, who was there for him and so he said: "Because you´re cute when you get feisty like a little pup that lived on the street and tries to defend a bone, when clearly in the disadvantage but still in fighting spirit and never giving up, it's because I love seeing the spark in your eyes whenever you fight back after I call you names, and because I don't want to lose the love of my life ever again after, it took so long until I found you, or rather until my private detective Ed had found you. And I just couldn't bare to lose you again, most of all knowing that I couldn't see you ever again."

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	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter fourteen**

After his confession, Seto saw the eyes of his Puppy completely open for the first time since he had woken up, and he opened and closed his mouth a few times, looking much like a drowning fish. Seto watched and waited for his Puppy to calm down enough to talk again and hoped it would be before the doctor came in, or they might think that his brain got damaged. Seto watched as his golden pup took a deep breath and readied himself for whatever would follow.

"Why haven't you told me from the start?"

But before Seto could answer, the nurse came back in, this time with a doctor. "Jeez, doesn't she have a great timing or what?" Joey mumbled, causing Seto to grin. The nurse did have some hell of a timing, bad for Joey since it was both times after he wanted to have a rather important question answered and good for Seto, since she gave him some time to think about the answer.

"Seems like you still have your good humour, Mr Wheeler. But even if we seem to interrupt the two of you, I'd like to ask Mr. Kaiba to leave for a moment, so I can give you a little check up, please."

Joey grinned evilly and said "Don't call me Mr. Wheeler, just Joey. Otherwise I sound old and stuck up like Kaiba." Seto looked over to his Puppy, who had a wicked smile on his face, that Seto started to mirror. If Joey could tease, so could he. He leaned down and whispered: "Better watch that mouth or I won't give the Puppy his treat and that means no answers, got that?" Seto had to smile lovingly at his Puppy and then said "I´ll wait outside till the doc is done and come right back in, okay?"

"Fine, but you better have some good answers by then." Joey said with a big pout on his face. He didn't seem to like that Seto had a chance to get away. Seto left the room and waited, happy that it was now up to the doc to tell him about his leg. He didn't think he would be able to do so, without making about a hundred mistakes.

Now Seto stood in front of the door and waited once again. And again it was driving him crazy, he wanted to know how Joey was, if he was feeling okay or in a lot of pain. Okay, he could have asked him that earlier if he hadn't been distracted by Joey playing 20 questions. And with that thought the worry came back. How to explain to him why he hadn't said anything? Should he just tell him that he had been nervous about him not excepting anything and about what he would say, if he knew that he loved him? Should he tell him, that the biggest reason, that so far he hadn't even admitted to himself, was the fear of getting rejected? What should he tell him? All of the reasons or just one, or should he rather find an excuse that didn't sound as pathetic as the truth now sounded to him. And the worst was, that even so he had seemed to be in a good mood and happy about what he had said so far, he hadn't said a thing about his feelings. Had Serenity been wrong, did he not love him after all?

Seto stared at the door, wondering what was happening and what he should do once the doc came out. He heard two voices and turned to see Serenity and Mokuba, walking around the corner at the end of the hallway. He hadn't seen them in a while since they had been back to college, after all they could hardly stay half a year waiting and no one knew how long it would be. It could have been much longer.

Both looked worried seeing him outside of Joey's room, so he gave them a little smile to show that Joey was all right and waited, until they had walked all the way up to him and then said "He's awake, the doctor is checking up on him right now."

"He's awake?" Serenity smiled nearly as sunrivalling as her older brother did. And she gave Mokuba a hug, saying once again "He's awake. He is finally awake, he finally woke up from coma and he's going to be fine, I'm certain. How could he not be, now that he's awake. I'm so happy, Mokuba, did you hear that?"

"Sure, I'm happy for you Reni. I know how worried you were." Seto looked at the two, had he just heard Reni? He watched the two for a moment, looking at each other lovingly and both having the arms around the other. "Mokuba?" Seto asked after a while "What did you say was your new girlfriends name again?"

"I haven't said a name, since I wanted to know how long it would take you to ask and I just lost a bet." Mokuba said and Serenity said "I told you he would ask before we're dating for a year, after all he cares for you, but I have to admit Joey was way faster. He wanted to know as soon as he heard I had one. Right before he had the accident and the year was nearly done, so I lost."

"I know that he cares," Mokuba pointed out "but trust me, if he hadn't seen us he wouldn't have asked and not because he doesn't care, but because he is socially handicapped to say it nicely."

Seto blushed and just gave Mokuba a death glare, who just said "What, want to deny it? I mean, face it. You could NEVER find the right words when you really needed to, unless of course it was business but in a private social environment you just suck. Don't get me wrong, I still love you and know that you love me. But you're not the best in showing that."

"I know, I can't" Seto said blushing even more "but you don't need to be so blunt about it."

"Have you talked to my big brother yet or do you want us to come back later?" Serenity asked him, changing the topic from bad to worse.

"No, you can stay. He knows that I love him and that I'm the one that had been giving him all the money and a hotel room and apartment. And I'm sure he wants to see you, Serenity", Seto said and thought _And I´ll get a longer break to think about what to say._ He was pleased and more relaxed, he would be able to get in, without Joey asking all the questions that he wasn't sure how to answer.

It took ages for the doctor to finally leave the room and when he did, Seto went in first and Joey started to say "Okay, now spill..." then he saw Mokuba and Serenity enter the room and said "You didn't call them for back up, did you?" Seto looked at him in surprise. He hadn't even thought of that but it was a good idea. When had his Pup gotten so smart, he had to remember it for the next time he was in the same situation. "Of course not. Your sister was just visiting she was worried too you know."

"I thought you´d talked to him and told him everything?" Mokuba said with an evil smile.

"I did. You never asked if he still had questions afterwards." Seto said with his trademark Kaiba smirk.

"NO problem," Serenity said, looking towards Seto with an angelic smile "knowing my big brother, I'd say Mokuba and I go get some cookies or doughnuts or other tasty food for the black hole he calls stomach and that will give the two of you plenty of time to go through all my brother´s questions." Seto looked at her and thought _Who ever wrote the song "The devil in disguise" must have known Serenity._

"Go sis, it's doughnuts time, you´re the best. I would like some sugary treats too, please. Like chocolate and jellies and lickerish and some pastry, like apple pie or muffins maybe chocolate chip muffins and don't forget some ice cream, I love that stuff so much and..." Seto saw fit to interrupt him at that moment, before he would go on like that for the rest of the day. Not that he minded the distraction but he didn't want to get his hopes up and Seto was worried about him eating all that rubbish. "Are you sure, you're allowed to eat all that? Maybe we should ask a doctor first."

"How boring, I haven't eaten a thing for about half a year I need some grub. You can't tell me that I'm not allowed to eat." Joey said with a pout.

Seto grinned and said "No you haven't, but the IV made sure, you got anything you needed and now your stomach needs to start slowly or you´ll get sick. It might be better to let your body rest, instead of filling it with treats." He saw the pout getting bigger and heard a mumbled "You're no fun at all," but Serenity really helped out this time and said "I´ll go and ask what we can get him and get him a little bit of it. Don't worry, Joey, I´ll make it something nice and if needed I´ll sneak in at least one muffin. I know your stomach always can hold at least that." and with that the young couple was out of the door. Seto quickly asked a question of his own, before Joey could return to the topic from before. "What did the doctor say?"

Joey looked down at his bandaged and still slightly swollen leg that had never really faded, with a sad expression and just said "I'll survive. What did Serenity tell you from before? The doc said she knows about some stuff." He looked worried and rather nervous and Seto wondered why, might there be more than he knew? Was his Puppy still in danger? He had said he´d survive, so there couldn't be anything bad any more, could there?

"She told me that you had a broken arm that had been set and well.. about your leg. And the internal bleeding. Is there more than that? You look so worried." Seto held his hand again, looking deep into his eyes, Joey eyes in return seemed to look through his own eyes, right into his soul and with so much sadness in them as he said "If you knew, how could you still say that you love me? I might never be able to walk, I won't be able to do anything at all. I mean, I'm only work and trouble now. How could you tell me that you loved me NOW?"

Seto stared at him, he didn't get what his problem was. Why he was so freaked out about it? All that mattered was that he was still alive. Who cared about the leg? He was alive and the rest could be managed one way or another. Seto only saw one reason why he could freak about him telling it now, it had nothing to do with the leg but the faced that Joey didn't return his feelings and didn't want to know about it, still he just had to know for sure "Why don't you want me to tell you now? Don't you love me back? I mean, I could understand. Even Mokuba said, that I'm socially handicapped and NEVER know what to say."

"Obviously can't get the point either, silly, of course I love you but how can you STILL love me? After all of this, I'm just a burden. The doc said, that the best I could hope for was walking with a stick and even that just with luck. I might need a wheelchair, most likely will need one forever. And that would just mean a lot of work for you! How can YOU want ME like THIS?" and he pointed to his leg. Seto had trouble to even listen to the end, he had gotten distracted with the words "of course I love you" out of his Puppy's mouth. But he had gotten enough to get that Joey worried about him not being good enough any longer. Seto thought that notion was laughable and grinned a little, saying: "Are you indicating that you think you're not good enough for me the way you're now? That there is nothing I would get out of a relationship with you?"

"No I'm indicating nothing! I'm saying it straight out, after all I wasn't really up to your league to begin with, Mokuba said you know what I am." He looked still sad and lost and Seto wanted to help him, but first he knew he had to understand the problem completely and he hadn't gotten the last part either. If he wanted to have an chance of making his Puppy understand that, he had things backwards he needed to understand his Puppy's reasoning. And so he asked "And what would that be?"

"You know it. I'm a hooker, a piece of meat that is worth less than nothing and now I'm not even that. I mean who would want a broken piece of meat?" Seto saw a tear running down his face and even so he hadn't a real idea of what he was supposed to say, he knew he had to say something. So he just started to let out the first thought that popped into his head.

"First of all, meat can't break. So that theory is not possible." Joey rolled his eyes and mumbled "Cute, very cute and funny." But he didn't look like he thought it funny at all, so Seto just went on, hoping he would be able to make his Pup feel better. "And second, Joey I never loved your leg or the fact that you can walk. I mean, face it, that's not that special, but you're special and I love the way your smile can make the sun seem like a little night light, I love the way your eyes sparkle when you're about to fight with me or anyone really, I love the way the sun makes your hair look like liquid gold and your eyes like warm honey, I love the confused look you get when I use a word you don't get, I love that you would do everything for friends and family and never leave someone behind, I love how energetic you get when presented with a challenge and how you never back one down. I love the fact that your the strongest person I have ever met. After all, who else can go through all you have been through and still make fun of me after waking up from a coma? I love how brave you are, how loving, how strong and caring and giving you are. Joey, I love every small thing that makes you who you are and nothing can ever take that from you. And trust me, whoever gets to be in a relationship with you can get the best thing in the world out of it, your heart."

Seto had gotten more and more worried during his speech that he had said something wrong, since tears where running down his Puppy's face, so the words that came out after a moment surprised him even more "Mokuba is wrong. You can find the right words and you just did."

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	16. Chapter 15

Thanks to mednin, Ria Everwood and Sasu-Sama' Sarukiji-Sempai for the reviews

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**Chapter fifteen**

Seto watched his Puppy, still with tears in his eyes. Wondering why he was crying if he had said the right thing. Joey must have noticed that Seto had gotten confused and asked "What's wrong?" Seto gently wiped off his tears, away from his beautiful face and mumbled "It's nothing really, I just don't get that. If I said the right thing, then why are you crying? I want to make you happy and not cry." Seto blushed at his own words, he felt so helpless and was sure he sounded the same way. Joey grinned, still with tears in his eyes but it was getting less than before. "You're silly, I'm crying because I'm happy.. so, goal reached. And now, how long does a guy have to wait to get a kiss from you? Or do I have to come and get you?"

Seto smiled a little at the kissing notion, he wanted to so much. But he was a little worried about Joey's current condition. But then again one small kiss couldn't harm, could it? So Seto slowly leaned down towards his Puppy's soft red lips, planning to just give him a short peck on the lips for now. But as soon as his own lips toughed the soft red ones of his Puppy, he felt the others open and Seto decided that a little more wouldn't hurt Joey either and so he brought his tongue into it and started to taste his blond Puppy's hot cavern, enjoying the flavour and the sensation of it so much, that he lost himself in the kiss that got more passionate by the second. Seto started to forget everything around him, everything but the feeling he got from kissing his little Puppy silly. At least he forgot everything until one of the machines suddenly started a loud alarming peeping.

Seto stopped the kiss at once getting a "Why did you stop?" from a very flushed looking blond Puppy. He had to smile at the reaction he got for stopping after the alarming peeping sound and said "The machine went off, are you okay?" Joey just rolled his eyes saying "I was, until you stopped." And he grinned at him. The machine stopped peeping but a doctor still appeared shortly after that, asking what happened and how Joey was feeling? Once again Seto's blond Puppy rolled his eyes, saying: "I'm fine really, the machine must be broken." The doctor took one look into his face and then towards Seto, who started to blush. Worried that the doctor would figure out what might have happened. The doctor went over to the machines and checked all of them and the papers that were coming from some and then looked with a very stern expression towards Seto, saying: "Listen, I know you´re a rich famous gaming hot shot but if you risk the wellbeing of my patient, I WILL have you removed, understood?" Seto gave a small nod, worried about having to leave but happy that the doctor seemed to take Joey's wellbeing very serious. Joey on the other hand seemed to be less understanding and complained. "Why? He didn't do anything?" The doctor looked at Joey and said "Then why was your heart beating about twice as fast and why did this lovely machine, which by the way is working very well, tell me that the oxygen in your blood was way down and why are the two of you blushing? If I would have a guess, I'd say you where making out and I'm really disappointed. You're in a hospital and you, Mister Wheeler, got hit by a car and just woke up from a coma, you need to rest. I mean it, don't make me kick him out and give you some nice sleeping pills."

Joey looked at the doctor with a pout, saying: "This sucks big time, can't move, probably can't eat what I want and now I can't even kiss my boyfriend. I hate hospitals." The doctor smiled and said: "I got some got news, I gave your sister permission to get you at least one muffin that you're allowed to eat. And if you can stomach that, you can have more tomorrow."

"At least something." Joey mumbled, while the doctor left the room with one last glance back at Seto. As soon as the door was closed, Joey asked "Can you find the off button on that machine?" And he flashed a wicked grin. Seto just smiled and took his hand into his, leaning down and gave him a small kiss on the forehead, saying: "He's right, you should try to rest, I don't want to risk losing you. And by the way, it sounded very nice as you said boyfriend." Seto showed a smug smile that got even more smug as Joey blushed and asked "You are now, aren't you? I mean, you said you love me and all." Seto smiled even more and not a smug one, a happy loving and caring one and said with as much feeling as he could: "I do and I'd love to be your boyfriend for as long as you want me to be."

"You do realize that I'm not planning on letting you go again, right?" Joey asked and Seto had to chuckle a little and said: "And here I thought I'm the one that had to get a leash to keep my Puppy from running off." Seto had to smile at the evil grin that spread on Joey's face and Seto knew his Pup had a retort ready.

And he wasn't disappointed when his Puppy said: "At least you only need a little Puppy leash, I need a chain that can hold a dragon."

Seto had to laugh and asked "So you think I'm like a dragon?"

"Sure, you are" Joey said. "You're proud like one and have about the same short temper and to top it off, your temper tantrum can probably get even scarier than a dragons."

Seto grinned and said: "Obviously not, after all I can name at least three persons that don't even flinch at my temper tantrums, without having to think."

"Really I thought that would only be Mokuba." Joey said in surprise that any one else could be brave enough to stand up to his dragon.

"You never flinched," Seto pointed out.

"Okay, but that's still only two. And I actually love seeing you like that, it's just cool, even so I have to admit that I rather see others getting on the bad side of your wrath than me, but still." Joey said with a big grin on his face. And Seto wondered if anyone really could love seeing him mad. Everyone seemed to flinch, well everyone but Mokuba, Joey and the only one of the three that Seto wanted to flinch from him and far away from him, on top of that.

"Kai doesn't flinch, not even a little. He even dared to call me a jerk and not only behind my back."

Joey looked surprised and said "What did you do to him to make him do that? He likes you, he always wanted to work for you again so he could see the coolest guy ever to walk the earth, his words not mine."

Seto stared at his Puppy in disbelieve and said "That can't be. He hates me and is so protective about you that I'm sure he loves you, maybe it was different at the start but not since he got to know you and I mean honestly, how could he still love me after having lived with you? After having gotten to spend so much time with you?"

Seto saw a smile spread over his pup's face and he said "I didn't know my dragon could be so sweet."

"That could be because I never had a little Puppy to take care of." Seto smiled happy and lovingly, he never thought that it could feel so good to be with his Puppy and talk like this. He was still a little worried about hurting him but not as much as in the beginning, since his Pup seemed to be happy and enjoying the little teasing as much as he did. Joey's smile, that always was rivaling the sun itself, was even more beautiful. Even brighter than it normally was and Seto felt more complete than ever before, like he had found a part of himself rather than just a boyfriend. He couldn't help but kiss those smiling lips one more time, just a peck and once again had a hard time stopping himself but did out of fear of the doctor´s threat. He just didn't want to be forced from his Puppy's side. He had managed to finish all his work for the weekend on the day before and the only thing he might need was a bit of rest. But since he had been falling asleep at Joey's bedside, he was certain to be able to stay awake until tonight and could probably now leave for the night. It might even be better, considering the reaction he once again got from his new boyfriend after he stopped kissing him.

"Why did you stop?"

"I had to. I don't want to be kicked out."

"Since when are you listening to anyone?"

"Since that anyone is the doctor, that´s taking care of you and probably knows a little better what´s good for you?"

"Shouldn't I know best what's good for me? Because I think your kisses do wonders."

Seto had to chuckle a little and said: "That might be, but I rather not take any risks. So maybe we kiss with breaks, that way you get plenty of oxygen and enough kissing."

"I don't like the break part but the kissing part sounds great, so why not start?"

Seto gave him a smug smile and said "Because you first need to take a few deep breaths to keep the stupid machine quiet."

This time Joey chuckled, and took a few deep breaths in and out and Seto had to smile at his eager Puppy and gave him another kiss. He was surprised that he seemed to enjoy it so much, giving that he must have way more experience than he himself had. After all his first kiss was with Joey. He never had loved another and just kissing or making out for the fun of it had seemed a waste of time to the level headed CEO.

They kept kissing like that a few more times. And after every kiss Joey took a few deep breaths, making more noise to show that he did it than necessary, just to get another kiss. But after a while they got interrupted once more. This time it was the sound of the door opening.

Seto jumped back from the bed as he heard the door and looked worried, afraid it might be the doctor but relaxed after seeing their siblings enter. "Why so jumpy, big bro? You're not the first guys we see kissing."

Seto blushed at the memory of the little incident with the peeping machine and the doctor. And while he was still thinking how to explain to the two younger siblings why he was jumpy, Joey just jumped right to it "He's just scared of the doc, he threatened to kick him out for kissing me silly, until one of the stupid machines went off because the oxygen in my blood went too low. Didn't feel too low, so I was feeling great. Until the peeping freaked Seto out and made him stop."

Mokuba and Serenity started laughing, while Joey just lay there pouting and asked them: "Can't you guys find an off switch on that thing?"

"Sorry but it's probably better if we aren't trying to do so, since you need to keep your oxygen in check. Just wait till you´re better." Serenity said, and Joey mumbled "I hate waiting." Followed by a "And here I thought I was the younger one." from Serenity. Seto just smiled at his Puppy and leaned down to whisper "Don't forget as soon as you're out of here we can kiss as much as you want, so try to get better soon."

Both smiled happily at one another until Serenity gave Joey one muffin, but without icing or chocolate chips or anything, since the doc had said only to get him a plain one for the start, causing Joey to pout once again.

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**Please Review**


	17. Chapter 16

Thanks to Ria Everwood and Sasu-Sama' Sarukiji-Sempai for the reviews

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**Chapter sixteen**

Seto was home and in his room again, getting ready for bed. It was a long day and he was exhausted but still happy since his Puppy was much better. He had been kicked out, since Joey had wanted to kiss him all the time and didn't go back to sleep at all, even so he had looked tired enough he was just to stubborn, the doctor had said he should leave, so Joey could get some rest and Seto had done as asked. Okay, basically he hadn't been kicked out. He only had needed to be asked and then left, so his Puppy could rest and get better but he still had rather stayed with him. He missed his new boyfriend already and couldn't believe that it was all real, it felt like the nightmare had turned into a dream of pure bliss. After all it was hard to believe for the CEO that the blond young man really had wanted to be kissed by him and enjoyed said kiss, Seto had always been so sure that he would hate him and yet he had wanted to be kissed, asked to be kissed even and pouted when he stopped, after a machine had gone off. Warning that his Puppy had too little oxygen in his blood from all the kissing. Seto had to grin at that memory, sure it had been a bit embarrassing at the time but he still loved the thought that he had kissed his Puppy breathless to that extend.

The day with his Puppy had been almost perfect. Mokuba and Serenity weren't the only ones that knew about their relationship at this point. Joey told nearly everyone that came to visit him that he had a boyfriend and looked really proud of it, too. Yami and Yugi had been happy for Joey but instead of asking who the lucky one was, they hat gone straight to telling Seto that if he would dare to hurt their friend, said friend just needed to say a word and they would let him pay for the pain he had caused. But they had grinned so much that the threat didn't sound scary at all Not that Seto could ever be scared by the two of them. Yami and Yugi had seemed happy for them and were even happier that Joey was finally awake. The two asked how he was doing and what the doc had said?

It had been hard for Joey to tell them the part with his leg, Seto had seen it in the way he had not been able to look anybody in the eyes during that time. But he had told them, that the leg wouldn't be working right away but an operation might fix it to some extend but most likely never completely. That he might need a wheelchair forever, maybe even one that kept his leg in the same position it was now. And that an operation might even make matters worse and just get it infected, so they would need to take the leg off if it gets to bad. Joey had been advised to think it through, before doing anything at all. An operation could also change the fact that right now it didn't hurt since no bone pieces pressed on the nerves. It was hard for Seto to imagine how his Pup might feel, how could anyone imagine how it would feel to be in such a situation. One day your life is good, finally better than the nightmare before, finally you can live your life again and then one accident, one moment in time, so short and now he might never walk again and nothing can make the damage undone.

Seto remembered that it had been him that had gotten the smile back on his Puppy's face afterwards, and all he had done to do so, was taking his hand and give it a gentle squeeze. And smiling down at him and Joey did the same back up. And to keep his spirit up, Seto had leaned down and whispered: "Take your time thinking about the operation, I don't want you to go back to a hospital with stupid machines, whose peeping can interrupt our kisses any time soon." Joey smiled a little again after that and Seto gave him a little kiss, increasing the smile, but kept it short. Just a peck really, after all Yugi and Yami were there to visit Joey and he didn't want to interrupt them too much, even when his Pup still seemed to be eager enough.

Tristan and Duke had also stopped by a little later, already knowing that Joey was awake, as well about his leg. They´d been informed by Yugi over the phone, so they just talked a little about Joey finally having a boyfriend and what seemed to them even more important, Seto having a boyfriend and hopefully getting into a bit of a better mood, once Joey was fit and Seto could get some fun between the sheets, like Duke had put it. They had been very direct about that topic and Joey didn't seem to mind, while Seto had left them for a moment to get a coffee. He had found it rather embarrassing. And he had send a SMS to Yugi, thanking him for letting Tristan and Duke know about the leg, so Joey didn't need to talk about it again.

The only big downside for Seto had been when Kai had appeared in the room, staring daggers at HIM. Not that he didn't receive a look just as bad, but Seto hadn't liked the way he had dared to look at him. NO one ever dared to stare daggers at Seto Kaiba and he couldn't even kick his sorry ass out, since it might upset Joey. To top up Seto's mood Kai had flirted relentlessly with Joey, while Seto just sat there holding Joey's hand. Wishing he could just kick Kai out or do even worse things to him for flirting with his Puppy. And the worst thing was, Kai had been the only one Joey hadn't told about his boyfriend proudly. He hadn't said anything at all about that until Kai had asked what 'the jerk was doing there?´ Joey, who had still been nervous, believing Kai to have a crush on Seto himself and probably getting mad at Joey for steeling him, had been surprised about the insult and the acid in his voice. He had said reluctantly that he was there because he was his boyfriend and the look on Kai's face had been priceless, to say the least. He face had gone white and then through all shades of red, asking Joey what he was thinking and if he didn't know what a jerk he was? Kai talked like Seto wasn't even in the room and Seto had to fight a smug smile at the jealous behaviour of Kai. Unfortunately it had ticked Joey off. He had started giving out to Kai about how he could be so fast in judging? He didn't know Seto like he himself did and that he could be so kind and caring and just because he didn't understand him, didn't mean that he could be mean to him. Joey kept going like that, mentioning how Seto had always been there for him and his friends if really needed, even so he had complained and said he didn't really want to do it and wouldn't do it for them, he had been there never the less. Seto had to calm Joey in the end, with a kiss to distract and then some soft words that he didn't care what Kai said and Joey needn't worry himself, but to calm down and get some rest and then he had just warned Kai, that if he would upset his Puppy again while he was still sick, he would kick him out personally. Kai hadn't liked the Puppy comment and had been even more upset after Joey had just smiled at Seto, after he had gotten a very different reaction back when he had once called him Puppy. He hadn't stayed long after that.

Seto was even more certain that Kai had feelings for his blond and beautiful Puppy, the anger about the news of them dating had convinced him even more. The only problem was, that Joey still thought it laughable. Joey knew now that Kai had no feelings for the cool CEO any more but still didn't believe him to have any for him. He was absolutely oblivious to his own charme and saw himself only as second best if at all, after all Yugi and Yami had always been in the center of attention at every adventure there had been, and he had always been more like a little sidekick of theirs and compared to Seto, Joey thought himself less desirable. Since he wasn't as smart or as cool. He didn't see, that he somehow managed to look wild and cute at the same time and that was just an intriguing combination and his honey eyes and golden blond wild hair made him even more desirable and compared to Seto, he at least had way more social skills and to someone like Seto, who had nearly no social skills whatsoever, that was even better than good looks. Joey was just perfect, he was cute and wild, beautiful and charming, had good humour and was stronger than anyone else he had ever encountered. It wasn't surprising to Seto, that he could name many people that at some point or other had a major crush on the cute blond. Mai being just one of many and Kai only the most recent.

And on top of that, Joey was just the most amazing kisser, not that Seto had much experience, none to be honest, but he still couldn't get over the feeling he had gotten from the first kiss they had shared. He hadn't believed that such a strong feeling was even possible. He couldn't wait for his Puppy to get out of the hospital, so he could kiss him senseless without a stupid machine getting off way too early.

The only question was, where Joey would go after the hospital? He wasn't used to be in a wheelchair and would be most of the time, at least for now. It wouldn't be wise to be alone at the start what if he needed help? And at any rate, the apartment was at the top floor of a rather large apartment building. Granted it had a lift but what would he do, if a fire was to break out? Lifts always had a sign not to use them in the event of fire for safety reasons. What was Joey to do, if a fire would break out there and he was in the apartment? It was a death trap.

There was the mansion, of course, but it hat about 4 steps in front of the main entrance and the bedrooms were all on an upper floor. And he didn't even have a lift, so his Pup wouldn't be able to get around the house. He would need to get a ramp for the main entrance, even if Joey wouldn't want to move in with him, just yet he would still come and visit his boyfriend or at least Seto hoped so and a ramp might be no harm in any case. The accident had proven how fast someone might need a wheelchair or other help maybe. It might not be any harm to get his mansion wheelchair accessible in any case.

The main thing to do was to move at least one bedroom, maybe two, down to the ground floor for even if he got a lift for the upper floors, he didn't want Joey to be alone upstairs in case a fire broke out. If Seto was with him, he could always carry his Puppy down but he needed to know, that he was safe when he came back from work late or went out early and wouldn't want to wake his Puppy in such cases. Also he would need to have a wheelchair accessible bathroom. Best next to the room Joey would be in and maybe one on all floors, just so Joey wouldn't need to wander through the whole mansion just to take a leak.

Seto wondered what else he might need to do, so that his Pup could be with him at the mansion. He had no idea what else he might be able to do, to make his Pup feel comfortable there. He didn't know what a wheelchair user might need, apart from an even surface, was there anything else he could do for him? If yes, how would he find out? He had no idea how to deal with someone that was in a wheelchair, not that he was so good in socialising with 'normal' people, but now he was afraid that it might be even harder and complicated. Could he still ask him if he wanted to go for a walk in the moonlight? After all he couldn't walk but what else was he supposed to say? What else could he do and what was expected of him?

_There must be a way that I can find out what to do and say and how to interact with Joey now. It was easy enough in the hospital but there he didn't need my help, it would be so awkward if he did, once he's out. And how much should I help, should I offer help or would it make Joey feel like he lost his independence all together? Should I not offer help and make Joey feel like I don't care? How was anyone to know such things? _Seto thought, while he lay in bed, not knowing what he was supposed to do about it, there had to be a way to find these things out. There had to be someone that could help, but who?

After a while he had an idea and was surprised it hadn't dawned on him earlier. The head of his marketing department had a secretary and she was in a wheelchair. Why not ask her? After all it didn't really matter if she thought it rude. He was her boss and he didn't care what his employees thought of him as long as they did their work. And if she would be willing to help, he could bring her to the mansion and see if there was anything else that could be done to make life for his Puppy easier. If anyone could help him it was her, for who better to teach him how to deal with someone in a wheelchair than someone in a wheelchair?

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**Please review**


	18. Chapter 17

**Authors note:** Thank you to a friend, who helped me writing the next chapters, by telling me what a wheelchair user needs for a comfortable living. She could do so, because she´s a wheelchair user herself.  
Also thanks to Ria Everwood for her reviews.

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**Chapter seventeen**

Seto got ready for work, he had told his Pup on the evening before, that he would be in shortly past noon, so he could sleep a little longer. After all he had been hit by a car and just awoken the day before, so he needed his rest. And he himself had some work to do and not only for Kaiba corp. But he would do the Kaiba corp. related work first, since the other couldn't be done until a certain secretary was in. And since Seto was an early worker she most likely wasn't in for at least another hour after he would be there.

When Seto arrived at Kaiba corp. the employees made an even bigger circle surrounding him. It came surprising to Seto, since he felt in such high sprites, he even might have given the first person to ask for it a raise. Seto doubted that he had been smiling as much as on that day ever before, so why were they all running from him? Well it didn't matter. It would give him more time for work and he would have to waste less time, dealing with them. It did surprise him so. Even the braver employees made a wide circle around him, not that he had many of them.

He worked until it was close to noon and went over to the marketing department of his company, he didn't have enough time left to take her to the mansion but since she probably had work here, he would do that after working hours and pay her over time. But he needed to know if she would do it and if she had time to do it, and if she´d rather do it towards the end of her shift and be done on time or rather over time? Maybe she didn't have a busy day but someone waiting at home. He was glad to see her sitting at her desk, he had been worried that she might be on a lunch break.

"I need to talk to you, do you have a minute or two?" he asked, smiling as friendly as he could.

"To me? Why me? What have I done?" She looked scared and once again Seto wondered what was wrong here? He was trying his hardest to be nice and was even in an unusual good mood and the people around him seemed to be even more afraid than usual.

"Nothing. I just need some advice and you're about the only person that can give that to me, so do you have a moment?" he tried his friendly smile again and all he got for it was that she started shaking.

"Sure, I will do my very best to help with everything I can, Mister Kaiba. I just hope that I can be of any use to you, Mister Kaiba." Seto wondered why she seemed so afraid today. Granted, she was one of the more fearful employees but this much was just ridiculous. The poor woman was shaking, what the hell did he do wrong?

"First, why do you seem so nervous today, to be honest everyone seems to fear me more today. Is there something I don't realise?" He asked to find out the reason behind the unreasonable fear, when he was in such high spirits. When he is about to murder someone and stares daggers at each and everyone that gets to close, he can understand them running for the hills to keep their jobs.. but today.. it just seemed odd to him.

"It's nothing, Mister Kaiba, Sir. Honestly." She said, looking like she was trying to make herself as small as possible. What was he supposed to do? If he wanted her help, it might be better to get on good terms with her, so she would give her honest opinion and not just say what she thinks pleases him.

"Listen," he tried again, this time without smiling after all it had seemed to only freak her out even more. Maybe his smile was somewhat off from all the years, he hadn't used it in a genuine manner but only in a winning smug smirk. "I really need your help. But I need you to be honest with me. I'll pay you extra, since it's a private matter but it won't work when you're afraid and not honest. I swear it will not affect your working conditions here, so please tell me first, why the hell you and every one else in this freaking building is so afraid of me today? For once in my life I´m in a rather good mood and everyone around me is freaking out."

"Sure we are. No one knows WHY you're in such a mood and usually it's when you're about to crush an opponent and everyone is afraid to be the one that gets crushed." Seto had to laugh a little, they really had mistaken his happy mood for his "about to kill" mood. Even so it proved that he was hopeless in socialising, he still found it sort of amusing that the people feared him that much. At least his reputation was still working for him, even so he was about to ruin it even further. Love really made you to do strange things sometime. And it seemed to have changed the cold CEO a great deal.

"I'm just happy, because I have a boyfriend since yesterday morning. That's all. And I'm in such a good mood, that if you help me after your work today in said private matter, I will pay overtime and guarantee a raise here. But I might end up sounding rude a few times, so I apologise beforehand. I don't mean to be, since I really need your help." Seto could see that she looked curios by what he had said. Was it that surprising that he had a boyfriend or was it that he was in a good mood?

"You've got a boyfriend? I mean, I'm happy for you, but I pity your fan girls." She gave an honest looking smile and Seto was relieved that she looked much less fearful and asked again "So, will you help me?"

"It depends on what it is, right now I'm not sure if I can, since I don't know what it is that you need of me?" She looked curious again and Seto said "Okay, this might sound rude now but I need advice in how to make my mansion wheelchair accessible and how to talk to someone in a wheelchair, without sounding rude or saying something wrong. So I hoped that you could help me with that." She looked at him questioningly. "You need my advice in how to make your mansion wheelchair accessible? Well, excuse me.. but, why? I mean, don´t get this wrong, I´m happy to help with everything I can. But I don´t quite get why you would need a wheelchair accessible mansion?" Despite the fact that she didn´t get why he needed his huge mansion to be accessible for a wheelchair user, she could image why he needed her help, when it came to socialising with people, especially with someone in a wheelchair.

"Because my boyfriend had an accident and needs a wheelchair, at least for now and maybe forever. So. can you help?" Seto said with a slight blush on his face.

"I see. In that case.. Just treat him like you did before and not different, use the same words, everything the same the more normal you can talk to him, the more normal he can still feel and that's the most important thing. And find out, where you can take him out to thats wheelchair accessible, I can tell you a few places where I would go. Even so they aren't as fancy as some you might prefer but he could get in for sure and other than that, if he feels down sometimes and doesn't want to do things or is just crappy, leave him. Let him be, don't try to cheer him up all the time, he will have a bad day every now and then and nothing can change that. And trying to get him to go out on such a day or to force a better mood on him, will just make him feel like he has to fake that he is fine with it, even when he is not." She said to him with a smile.

"Should I offer help or rather let him do things for himself? I mean, I don't want him to think, that I think of him as helpless or a burden. But I don't want him to feel like I don't want to help or I'm not there for him either." Seto asked, blushing even more. He felt strage talking about things like that with an employee and showing a weakness.

"Just tell him from the start that if he needs help, he should ask. And if he does do it or if you see that he has a problem, ask him if he needs a hand or not and let him decide. And let him try if he wants do to it himself, then don't help. Even if it looks like it's hard for him to do something, don't do it for him after he said he could do it. Wait for him to either manage or give up himself. Give him time and just if he needs help, don't make a big deal of it, just talk like it would be nothing and like I said, just like normal if you would have made fun of him in the past. Keep it up, just somthing to make him laugh and not feel bad about the wheelchair. I'm sure you can handle that. And with the house, why don't I make you a list with a few points and when you´re done with them, I´ll come and have a look to see how it is, what do you say?"

"I would really appreciate that and thanks for the help. And I hope you didn't find me rude for asking all that stuff to you and sort of using the fact that you´re a wheelchair user yourself."

She smiled at him and said: "Don´t worry about that, Mr. Kaiba. It´s not rude to ask and I´d rather like being asked such questions, than having people staring at me with questionmarks on their faces. Maybe that´s another important thing to mention, your boyfriend will need some time to get used to the fact that some people might look at him differently. Especially people that know him as a walking person. And it´s not only his friends. There might always be some people around, when he´s out somewhere with you, that look at him. He might find that a bit strange, but he´ll get used to it. Don´t let that hold him back from going out.. Maybe tell him to stare back at them or something like that. Do you know, what I mean?"

"Yes, thank you" Seto looked at the time, it was nearly one o'clock and he would need to hurry to his Puppy. He was probably waiting by now. "I'll have to leave, would you mind having the list ready by tonight and give it to my secretary? I'll pick it up there later."

"No problem, Mr. Kaiba." She said with a smile and Seto knew that she´d probably never be afraid of him again but she seemed nice enough and wasn't a danger to him. Just a helpful secretary. And Seto was pleased that she was so helpful right now. He would complete anything on the list that she would provide him with and then invite her for a 'test' run. And of course he would invite her for dinner as well, as a little thank you for the help. He was grateful, even if he still wasn't sure how to treat Joey since after all he had never been one to talk to people normally. He just wasn't normal. How had Joey called it.. his head was high wired. But at least he wouldn't have to worry to much about a difference in treatment due to the wheelchair, all he could do now was try his best.

On his way out Seto noticed that Kai wasn't at the reception desk, so he asked the other woman where he was, it could still be his break if he had left a little late. But she only informed him that Kai hadn't been in at all and not phoned either. She also informed Seto that she had tried to phone him to find out whether or not he was still coming and why he was delayed or out all together, but he hadn't picked up. Seto didn't like the sound of that and not only because he hated slackers. He went straight to Joey, worried as who else might be there and probably trying to make a move on his Puppy. Needles to say that Seto Kaiba's good mood was gone.

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**Please Review ans what do ou think will Kai stay at Kaiba corp. or will Kaiba get pissed of with him and kick him out.  
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	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Seto was at the hospital in record time, since he drove himself and didn't mind the speed limit. He wanted to be there in case Kai really was in there with his Puppy, possibly alone with HIS Puppy. Trying to flirt with his little innocent Puppy, that didn't even notice his flirting the day before.

Seto almost ran to Joey's room but waited in front, he wanted to know what Kai was doing behind his back before he went in to confront him and he also needed to know how his Puppy was reacting to all the advances, if he himself wasn't around. He felt sort of bad for eavesdropping on his Puppy but he needed to find out what was going on in there.

"What do you mean, he's not a jerk? He is a jerk, a dick, an asshole. What am I saying.. he's an ass that doesn't even deserve a hole and probably doesn't need it, considering how much shit he talks." That was Kai's voice, unmistakably. For a second Seto wanted to storm in and kick him out. Out of his Puppy's room, out of his company and out of his life. But he still didn't know what Joey would do or wanted, so he stayed but for now clenching his hands into fists.

"He's not, he can be different. He just doesn't know how to say things half the time but he isn't really sat on being mean, it's just that he's hopples in talking to people outside of business settings half the time. But he can be so sweet and romantic! You should have heard him confessing to me, it was so cute. I never thought that he could find such romantic words, to be honest, I doubt I could have. Give him a chance. I thought you loved him too? And now your talking like he is the devil himself, what the hell is your problem with him?"Seto had to smile, that was his Puppy's voice and it sounded much stronger than the day before, he seemed to get better fast.

"My problem is that he's a jerk and he IS mean on purpose. I'm certain, just ask his employees. They all say that he is the devil incarnated. He isn't good enough for you, Joey. Please just forget him, leave him! We don't need him, you can come back to me and I´ll find a way to help you, I swear, don't let HIM touch you, just so you get his money that isn't worth it Kat... I mean Joey."

"You honestly think I'm dating him for money? Okay, I mean we both had sex for money but I never lied for it. I never told anyone that I loved them and I never would, how can you even think that I would use him like that? I love him, I always did."

"But he still doesn't deserve you."

"Kai, look at me! How can you even say that? I'm nothing but a hooker with a damaged leg and he is the coolest guy ever to walk the earth, like you used to say. He is way above me and I'm lucky that he loves me back. Who else could ever love me like that?"

"I could," came Kai´s respond and Seto held his breath. He wanted to strangle the guy, he wanted to walk through that door, grab him by the neck and strangle him until he could never say that to his Puppy again but he knew he couldn't do it. For with some points he was right. Joey was too good for him, he was perfect and he needed to be told or he might never believe it. So he waited, still holding his breath for Joey's answer but then he heard a strange sound, nearly like kissing and a muffled "Kai don't" followed by a ""stop please" _What the hell is going on in there?_ Seto thought, as he couldn't wait another second and stormed in. And he couldn't believe what he saw. Kai was kissing his Puppy, while Joey tried to press him away but he was still too weak. He had a tear running down his face. How could Kai hurt his Puppy? How dare he!

Seto just stormed over there right away, grabbed Kai by the back of his shirt and pulled him back with enough force that after letting him go, he half way flew through the room and into the table that was by the wall of the small hospital room and stared down on him with blood-lust in his eyes. Now he really wanted to strangle him but he had better things to do. His Puppy would need him, so he grabbed the guy once more at his shirt and dragged him out of the room, saying: "Don't ever dare to get into my sight again and don't even think of going back into Kaiba corp."

After that he turned to his Puppy, who was still crying and looking at Seto with fear. "I didn't want to, Seto, I swear. Please, I really didn't want to." Seto looked at him, his expression changing from hate and blood-lust to pure love and worry in less than a second as he walked to his Puppy and pulling him into his arms as he said "I know, don't worry Pup, I'm here, my love." He said, while holding him and gently lying down on the small hospital bed so he could hold him more comfortably, while more tears ran down his Puppy's cheeks.

After a little while Seto got out his phone. First phoning the reception of his company to inform them that, if Kai ever dared to as much as set one food into the door, he was to be kicked out immediately. After he had done that he phoned Roland to organize security for Joey in front of his hospital room 24/7.

By the time Seto was done, Joey was still cuddled into his embrace but didn't cry any more. Seto put the phone back into his pocket and Joey said with a still slightly teary voice: "You really believe me that I didn't want that? You're not going to leave me?"

"Of course I believe you, Puppy. I love you more than anything. And I saw that you tried to push him away but just don't have all of your strength back yet. And even If I hadn't noticed that Pup, I love you way too much to ever leave you. And you´re worth so much more than me, how could I let you go when I can hold you like now?"

Seto smiled at his Puppy and gave him another short kiss. And after he´s stopped he saw a pouting Pup again, that said: "Why did you stop?"

"The machines." Was all Seto said, only to see a devilish little smile on his Puppy's face appear. "What machines?" He said and Seto looked around. He hadn't noticed that most of the machines were gone. He had been to focused on Kai and making sure that he wouldn't get to see his Puppy ever again. Seto looked down and said "Okay, but only one kiss. I don't want the doc to kick me out after walking in on us." And with that he kissed his Puppy, this time blissfully and for once without any interruptions until both of them were breathless. After the kiss, he kissed his neck and collar bone, a little but not enough to leave a mark. He didn't want to get into more trouble with the doctor. And after a while he tried to distract his eager Puppy, who started to let his hands slide under the CEO's shirt, by saying: "Where would you like to live once you get out? I mean, I could get you a new apartment but you could stay with me, too."

"I thought you had steps in front of your house and well .. with a wheelchair." Joey sounded depressed and Seto quickly said "I'm getting a ramp anyway now, I thought it would be better for me anyway after all it was you, who said that I'm stuck up and old. So who knows when I might need a ramp." Joey giggled a little and said "And what's wrong with the apartment you already got me? Are there steps?" Seto thought about how to explain it for a moment and said "No, but it's too high up and you couldn't use the lift in case of a fire and would be stuck there." Joey rolled his eyes and said "It's not that likely to happen and that far up a fire might always block stairs so it's not that much more dangerous now. You're way too protective, you know. It's wasting money to get a new place, when I might even be able to walk again at some point."

Seto thought about it for a moment and said "You're right, it's too dangerous anyway. I get you a new place on ground floor if you insist on having your own. Then you could jump out of the window once you're fine again."

Joey rolled his eyes once more, saying: "Like I said, way too overprotective."

"Deal with it," Seto said and added "I lost you years ago when you disappeared and had given up all hope that I could ever find you alive again. Even so I couldn't bear to really stop the search, even when I had not believe it to be possible to find you any more, because then it would've really been over. And then I just found you and I nearly lost you for good to a stupid car and had to wait for half a year, for you to wake up, I can't risk loosing you again and I won't risk loosing you again. I love you way too much. I couldn't live through loosing you again, Joey."

Seto had to fight the tears that were about to come, as he had to talk about loosing Joey. He feared loosing his golden haired Pup for the third time more than anything. He just couldn't lose him again. I couldn't risk loosing him again. Even if he got on his Pup's last nerves, even if he wanted to make him happy more than anything else. His safety was the one thing that even outweighed his happiness. And if he would lose his love to another due to that, then he at least could watch over him and see that he was alive and happy and that was better than loosing him completely.

Joey too looked at the CEO with tears in his eyes and said "I love you and you might not be good in talking to others but definitely in confessing your feelings." And he cuddled into his dragons chest and added quietly: "And I wouldn't want to live anywhere but with you."

Seto started kissing his Puppy, but this time they were once again interrupted. Luckily not the doctor came in, but Yugi and Yami, who wanted to check on their friend.

The first thing Yami said, was: "What the hell have you done to make Joey cry, Kaiba? So I can decide on your punishment." He had seen the tears that Joey had still in his eyes, by now from pure bliss that he felt from Seto's words.

"Like I'm scared by the likes of you," was all Seto said, while Yugi seemed to be more worried that Joey might be in pain due to his leg and asked him if he needed a doctor or nurse or something else he could get him? But Joey said, before either one of the spiky haired boys could get any more out, "Be good. I'm not in pain, and he definitely didn't hurt me. He just got too soppy for his own good." Yami and Yugi looked in surprise and wanted to know everything.

Seto didn't move from his spot till the evening, as Joey talked to his friends. And he just played with his golden hair, happy to hold his Pup in his arms and hoping that he would never have to let go.

Seto stayed once again until the doctor asked him to leave and promised to be back the next day, at around the same time. Before he went back to Kaiba corp., after all he still needed to get to work on a list that was waiting there for him. And he was surprised at how much was on that list. He had assumed a ramp, a lift and at least one wheelchair accessible bath would be enough. But there where a few more points on the list.

Wheelchair accessible house:

1. no steps out front or ramp, make sure ramp has a small angle and longer rather than short and hard to get up

2. no steps in front of doors or anywhere else in the house and that a change of floor is as even as possible

3. no narrow doors, a wheelchair won't fit through them.

4. plenty of space in the bathroom and an even shower with a chair or help to get in the bath, best ask in the hospital what kind of help he will need. It depends on how severe the disability is. Also, space next to the toilet (side depends on disability) and handles.

5. Wheelchair accessible working space in kitchen. Sink cooker and working space for cutting and preparing the food, needs to be deeper so he can reach it while sitting. Even if you have a chef it will be nicer if he could do things himself, if he wants to. So he still has a choice and his independence.

6. Shelves in kitchen and anywhere else in the house, that he might need to reach, need to be low so he can reach them whilst sitting down.

7. Have a couch that has about the same hight as his wheelchair, so he can get more easily from one onto the other on his own.

8. Space around tables, in front of drawers or cupboards as well as around the bed and everywhere he might need to get by, so his wheelchair will easily be manoeuvred around the place. Again everything low enough so he can reach it.

9. If possible: maybe a fitness room, so he can work on his strength in his arms pushing a wheelchair, especially pushing it up a ramp gets exhausting. Also it will help too if he can get back out to keep the strength in his legs. Again ask in hospital or therapists what he can do and what might cause more damage than anything else, again it depends on the disability.

10. Make sure that the tables have a good hight so the wheelchair will fit under it when he sits in it and he can get all the way to the table with his body but not too high, so he can eat or work on it comfortably. Again leave plenty of space for him to manoeuvre the wheelchair especially at the start that might not be as easy as it looks.

11. Make sure that he can reach the garden or balcony, as well as get out through the front door, so he doesn't have to stay indoor or make a way around. Just make sure he can always go with you, anywhere in the house and on the grounds over an even path. And make a pathway in the garden that he can use, no sand or gravel or big lumpy stones. It's a pain to get over them in a wheelchair.

_So much for he only needs an even floor, a lift and a wheelcair accessible bath. _Seto thought. He wasn't even sure now if a wheelchair would fit through all the doors in his mansion. At least he had a mansion, a normal house might not have enough space to leave plenty of space around and in front of everything. But if it would make sure that life for his Pup was a little easier, he would get every single thing on the list done as soon as possible.

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**Please review**


	20. Chapter 19

Thanks to Ria Everwood for her review.

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**Chapter 19**

Seto had to wait for another two weeks until his Puppy was finally allowed to leave the hospital. He was still a bit weak and would need a lot of rest but he could get that at home, also would he need some therapy to get his strength back and to learn to move in the wheelchair and with two sticks for the start. He would need a lot of practise and the doctor had advised to wait for at least another month before deciding if he would try to fix the leg or not. Just so he could see how he got on now, since there was the risk of losing the leg. Even so it wasn't a big risk. Most likely it just wouldn't bring much of a change, if at all, but the chances of a full recovery were less than the one to lose his leg, which is why it shouldn't be rushed.

Seto was just happy to be able to pick his Puppy up from the hospital, he would take him out to dinner soon after. He wanted to spent as much time with his Puppy as possible and would also do most of his work from his home office and only go into the office for a few hours each day. He had organised with Yami and Yugi that Joey would be with them during that time, working. After all he still could sell games and advise children with duel monster cards, even while sitting in a wheelchair and wouldn't feel as helpless or as much of a burden as if Seto would hire a nurse to keep an eye on him and he didn't feel comfortable to leave him alone right from the start. And even so he had plenty of workers in the house, like maids and kitchen personal, a butler and the security guards, none of them would really be responsible and he wanted to know that someone would be keeping a close eye on Joey, without making him feel smothered. Yugi and Yami could do that when he was working with them and they where his best friends, Seto was certain they would help him as good as they could. And that way he would feel like he could still do something, instead of being a burden to everyone around him.

Seto was proud of his plan. He also might be able to drive with him to work and back home. Or he could let the driver do that. Joey shouldn't feel to bad about that, since he himself was nearly always brought everywhere by his drivers. Seto enjoyed the comfort in the back of his Limousine, even when he sometimes loved the feeling of speeding in one of his fast cars as well. But right now Joy wouldn't be able to drive. Maybe in time he could get him a special car but for now, since he might recover at least partly, he would not buy too much. He didn't want Joey to lose hope just yet.

His mansion was by now wheelchair prove. He had invited the secretary, that had helped him to have a look around and she said that she had rarely seen a better place for a wheelchair user and that she was quite impressed. It hadn't even taken that long to get everything in order. The ramp, the bathroom and the kitchen had needed the most work, other than that it wasn't that much. A few things needed to be moved around or replaced like some tables that just weren't high enough for a wheelchair to fit. Seto even had a nice wheelchair for Joey that looked comfy and a bit cooler than the normal hospital wheelchairs. It was smaller, as well with nothing his Pup wouldn't need, like arm rests, the wheelchair was small and looked really sporty with slightly angled wheels, not as much as some sport wheelchairs that Seto had seen on TV, just a tiny bit angled. It was mostly black, with a few red highlights and the spoke guards where custom made and had a picture of a flying red eye black dragon in front of a sunset on it. It also had a few real ruby's on it, just for decoration. And also had a little backpack that could be detached on the back, that one too was black with a tiny bit of red and had the same flying dragon printed on a smaller compartment that was on it. Seto also had moved his own bedroom to the ground floor, as well as a room for his Puppy. Even so, considering how his Puppy had acted the last two weeks, he wouldn't need that one.

His Puppy's hands had gotten more and more eager, and towards the end had been nearly too eager to move over Seto's body and whenever they were alone, he had a very hard time to keep them at places that were at least half way appropriate, considering the circumstances and the place. Seto hadn't known how perverted his little Puppy could be. He had thought that after some of the experiences he would need a bit of time for such intimacy but he already had been proven wrong. It definitely took more than that to stop his Puppy from what he wanted and obviously he wanted a dragon. And it wasn't that Seto didn't want his Puppy, on the contrary he wanted him very much, but not in the hospital, especially knowing that he would have a very hard time keeping his voice down. His Puppy's kisses and touches had sometimes made it almost impossible not to moan too much and he didn't want to risk any more. Not there anyway.

The other thing he had organised, was to find another job for Kai. Joey hadn't asked about him yet, but was worried that he might want to talk to him about it at some point. They had been friends and through a lot together and Seto doubted that one little mistake out of feelings he had for him, would stop Joey from wanting to set things right between them. It was only a question of time. But he wasn't working at Kaiba corp. anymore nor would he ever be allowed back in there. Seto had found him a small job in a Burger joint that was a good bit away from every place Joey might go to. He didn't want Kai to get a chance to be alone with his Puppy for now. Not unless Joey would insist on talking to him in private and even then he would find a way to listen in. It's not like he didn't trust his Puppy, but he definitely didn't trust Kai. To be honest, Seto still wished that he could just kill that guy for kissing his little Puppy without permission, but it would probably upset his Pup at some point, so he had to keep the urge under control.

Seto drove to the hospital to pick up his Pup with about a million butterfly's in his stomach. He was still nervous that there might be a problem, once his Pup was home. Something he hadn't anticipated that might upset his blond beauty, something that would steal the sunrivalling smile from his face. Or if there could be something that might even be dangerous. Seto was sitting in the back of his limousine as he thought about everything once more. He already had planned to take his Puppy straight home for the day and let him choose if he wants his own bedroom or stay with him. Seto hoped he would want to spend the nights with his dragon and given the way he had behaved so far, his chances weren't too bad. And if he would share his room, he wanted to show him around. Joey hadn't been in the mansion before. At least not everywhere. And he would give him the grand tour of it, which could take some time and after that he would have dinner in the garden. There was a nice spot in a rose arbour, Seto had it changed for Joey so he could sit there with him now. There used to be a bench all around the table in the middle now there was only one that was half to one side, allowing a wheelchair to be on the other. After that he would take his Puppy inside and watch some DVD or TV, depending on what the blond wanted to see and then it would be time for bed, hopefully with some cuddling before falling asleep.

The next day they would have a slow start, so they could hopefully continue their cuddling before they would have to go to work. Joey's shift would start at noon and Yugi and Yami had already told him, that he could continue working there since the wheelchair wouldn't be a problem and also that he could start again right away, if he wanted. So he wouldn't be alone all day when Seto's at work. Joey had been pleased about the arrangement and was eager to be back at work and to some kind of normality. He also would have the first therapy at home that evening after work and the next day before work as well.

Seto couldn't think of anything that could not be according to plan, apart from the cuddling. If Joey would want his own room but he could play some of Mokuba's left behind video games with him during the morning or go into the fitness room. Joey was always eager for training, he was very motivated with his therapy. Even when it was hard sometimes and he always came back exhausted. He had gotten much stronger thanks to his motivation and good work, but he was still a far cry from the old strong muscular man he had been before. But he was still beautiful, slender and perfect.

Seto arrived at the hospital about half past three in the afternoon. It had been agreed on that time, since Joey had one last therapy before leaving the hospital. Seto walked up slowly, the nervousness getting worse, even so he was still eager to have his Puppy home.

He went right into the room, to see the sunrivalling smile on his boyfriends face.

"There you are. I was waiting, dragon. Lets go, I can't wait to get the hell out of here."

Seto smiled blissfully and walked over to kiss him for a long while, before he said "Trust me, I know how you feel my love, I can't wait to have you home with me, my Puppy."

"Then what are we waiting for?", Joey asked, as he slowly sat up in bed and moved the legs over the edge. The left one only being moved at the hip and the knee being completely stiff in a slightly angled position. A hospital wheelchair was standing next to the bed. Joey knew that he had another one waiting at home but not that it would be a so much cooler one than the plain boring hospital thing. Seto watched as Joey painfully slowly with the help of one of the sticks he had, got out of bed. It itched Seto in his fingers to help him but he didn't, he just stood there motionless with the same smile he had, when he came into the room. He had learned not to show his emotions during his work as a businessman and now hiding his worries that Joey could fall and hurt himself. He needed to let him do things on his own or he would never get any kind of independence back.

After he was sitting in the hospital wheelchair, Seto just took his stuff and said "Ready to go?"

"You bet I am."

And with that they went to the car. Once there Seto waited for Joey to try and get in alone but he seemed to have more trouble and after a while he blushed and asked if he could help him just a little and Seto´s smile got even wider. He loved being able to help his Pup and just leaned down and gave him a kiss and said honestly "I'd love to give you a hand. I always will, just ask and I'm there for you." And with that Seto helped him a bit and once both were in the car, he put his arm around the blond and gave him another kiss after which he said: "And I meant it when I said I'm always there. And I really would do ANYTHING for you." Seto tried to sound seductive as he said so. Just to make sure his Pup wouldn't choose to have a bedroom for himself but to share a bed with his dragon. It couldn't hurt to try and make him a little hot by saying a few things that could have a double meaning. And even to Seto that one was very clear.

And it seemed like Joey had caught it too, not that Seto was surprised about that. But he was surprised that his Pup's hands were much faster in the car than in the hospital, almost like he had been trying to hold back there, too. Now his hand went straight towards his own pants and Seto couldn't help but moan and buck a his hip a bit into the touch. Joey giggled and said: "It seems like right now you need more 'help' in a certain matter than I do."

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**Please Review**


	21. Chapter 20

Thanks to Ria Everwood for the Review.

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**Chapter 20**

Seto was in total bliss at the first morning he had his Puppy home. Even so his plan for the evening before hadn't really worked out. The plates from the dinner that was planned for in the garden were still next to the bed and his Puppy and he were lying naked in his bed. Seto watched his sleeping Puppy next to him, admiring how sexy he looked in his sleep, with his ruffled hair and half parted lips.

Now Seto knew why everyone said that he needed to get laid. The rumours where right. He was in the best mood ever, even better than after he had gotten together with Joey. Work would be fun today, considering how terrified everyone had been the last time he had been in high spirits and right now he topped the first and last time by far. It was past eleven and Seto was wondering if he should wake his Puppy, since he would already be late for work or if he should just phone Yugi, that he isn't feeling up to it today and will be in tomorrow and he himself could take a day off and they could stay in bed all day. Seto liked that thought very much but was afraid his Puppy might get mad so, he gently started kissing the blonds neck and whispered "Good morning, Puppy you're going to be late, unless of course you let me phone Yugi and tell him that you're not well and you stay here in bed and allow me to spoil you rotten today." Seto could hear Joey giggle, before he said: "Tempting, but I really want to still work and I'm afraid that if I give permission once, you keep trying till I'm in retirement."

"Too bad, you looked right through me." Seto said, even so it was a lie. He wanted his Puppy to work at least the same hours he did but only with Yami and Yugi, so he would be minded during the day. He couldn't let his Puppy stay at home all alone, not yet anyway. He needed to be sure that he could handle everything well enough.

"How late is it?" His Puppy asked, his eyes still closed. "Twenty past eleven."

"WHAT? WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME EARLIER?" Joey screamed and could probably be heard in the whole city, if not in the whole world. "I just woke up myself, Pup. Relax, I just phone Yugi and tell him that your sick and we..." "Don't even finish that thought. I WILL go to work today and that's final!" Joey said and Seto gave a sigh. At least as long as his Puppy thought he wanted to talk him out of working, he wouldn't think he was trying to keep him there to have him monitored, that would be rather troublesome to explain. "Fine" Seto said and added: "I'll just call him to let him know we slept in a little and will run a bit late, so he won't worry. All right?"

"Do that but tell him I'm still coming."

"Hopefully not for him." Seto said with a chuckle and ducked a cushion on his way to the bathroom. He had a quick shower and got dressed before phoning Yugi. And telling him that Joey would be a bit late but in a good mood since he was still coming. After all Joey had wanted him to say that. After that he returned to the bedroom. Joey was still getting his pants on and struggled a bit. It's not as easy to get them up when you can't move and also must have been hard to get the leg into it when you cant bend it and have to reach all the way down. Luckily Joey was flexible as Seto had found out during the last night. He smiled again lovingly at the thought and said: "Yugi said to take your time and not rush, there isn't much in the shop today anyway."

"Thanks." Joey said and got into the wheelchair a little faster than the day before. But it still took him some time.

"Let's go." He said right after and Seto said: "Okay. Right after breakfast. Bad enough that we're having it for lunch. But you need to eat something and Yugi said to take your time, so lets eat, please?" Seto tries to copy Mokuba's Puppy dog eyes and Joey started giggling and said: "Don't try that again, it's not working for you. But you win anyway, you know me and food!"

Seto has to smile and walks next to him to the dining room to have breakfast, before driving with him to the game shop. He gets out of the car with him and gives him one last kiss but didn't dare to go in. Instead he waited in front of the car and watched him go in, he waited for a moment and then saw him turn and heard, even from his position, Joey's "SETO you pervert, wait till I get you." Seto went back into the car chuckling and let his driver bring him to Kaiba corp. He would have to think of something to calm his furious Puppy, just in case he was still mad about the little coming stunt he had pulled. The problem was he didn't have much time to think about it. He had spent so much time with his Puppy and with preparing the mansion, he was behind with his work which rarely ever happened.

He was in luck, so Joey sent him a text message later, saying "I'm going out with Yami and Yug, don't wait up unless you want your butt kicked!" Okay, he was still furious. But it gave him extra time at work to catch up and think about something to make it up to his Puppy. Seto did feel sorry for teasing him like that and embarrassing him a bit in front of his friends but he hadn't been able to help himself. His Puppy was just too cute when he got all feisty and he had been told to treat him normally and this was normal for him, maybe not so much for others but Seto Kaiba's brain was high wired like his Puppy had said and now he would use that excuse whenever he was in trouble.

By now Seto wasn't as worried about hurting his Puppy that much anymore. He had teased him a bit during the last weeks and had been teased in return and Joey seemed to enjoy it almost as much as the CEO himself. It was like their thing to Seto by now, a bit like a game and even so Seto was sometimes worried about going too far he believed, his Puppy would tell him that then and give him a chance, after all, he had said his brain was high wired and Mokuba said, that he was socially handicapped, so he had some 'spacial needs' in the social area. Seto had to chuckle himself at that train of thought.

He also had been right about work being extra fun, nobody dared to talk to him unless asked something, and whenever he chuckled everyone held their breath, waiting for him to show what mean, nasty thought that had caused HIM to chuckle. And by the end of the day it had become a game to him, scaring employees at the most inconvenient time was just fun. He knew it wasn't like him to do such a thing since it did interfere with their work but he was in too high spirits to care.

By the end of the day he had a plan how to make it up to his Puppy and everything organised.

Seto arrived at the mansion rather late and hoped his Puppy wasn't already home before him. He was lucky, he was still out. So Seto did as asked and got ready for bed but listened for his boyfriend to arrive home, while reading a book. He couldn't sleep before he knew that his Puppy had forgiven him his little coming stunt. It was past midnight as he heard the car arrive and even stood up again but waited in the doorway to his room, listening in case he needed something. He did have keys and could always ring a bell to get the butler to open the door if he had forgotten it. Seto could hear the door open and waited for his Pup to 'come' to him, chuckling again at the double meaning he by now even had in his thoughts.

As soon as Seto saw him, he smiled at him and said: "Can you forgive me the tease this morning or are you still mad?"

"Why are you even still up? I said you wouldn't need to stay up." He looked upset and Seto worried.

"I couldn't sleep, thinking that you might still be mad at me."

"What if I am?"

"Then I will have to find a way to make it up to you, so you forgive me or I'm afraid, I will think about ways to do so for the rest of the night."

"Well good luck with that." Joey said with a big grin on his face, he looked more teasing than mad and went towards the bed. Seto stayed in the doorway, wondering if he should try some other make up plan first and use the other as a surprise. Maybe he could even risk a bit since his beloved blond was grinning teasingly.

Seto waited until his Pup was in bed and went to get into it with him and leaned in close, just inches away from his Puppy's full lips and said "Since your mad about me talking about you coming, might it help if I can make you do just that?" It brought out an adorable blush on his Puppy's face and he could see that he was tempted but instead he said: "Like hell, no one is 'coming' tonight, unless you expect visitors at this hour or do it yourself." Seto had to smile and said "Would you watch me?" and Joey just said "Can I have my own room?" That had Seto nearly trembling in fear since he really didn't want his pup to go, not even into another room. So he decided to go back to plan A, as he said: "I'm good, please stay and I do have something for you to prove that I'm sorry and I swear no more jokes like that, to any of your friends. I promise. And I thought to make it up I take you on a holiday to America. To be more precise to visit our siblings at college. If you want, that is? Just the weekend, unless you take some time off work? I could."

Joey looked at him and Seto could see that this was even more tempting than the first offer to his boyfriend, but all he said was: "What if I don't forgive you with your bribe, will you just leave me then or cancel the trip all together?"

"Bribe?" Seto asked, shocked he didn't mean it to sound like THAT. "I didn't plan it as a bribe and it's not conditional, it's planned anyway. In case you want to go whether you forgive me or not, I just thought that by doing something thoughtful I could make it up to you. it's not a bribe I swear I wouldn't bribe you to forgive me!"

Joey suddenly giggled and said "I never was that mad. A simple "I promisee, it won't happen again" would have been enough and I'm happy for the trip and would love to visit Serenity but... can I.. I mean with the wheelchair?"

"I phoned the airport, they will help you into the private plane and even with the leg you have space there. They cold even put you in a normal plan into the first row in the middle but my one is more comfy, and I phoned a five star hotel and booked a wheelchair accessible room and they said it's no problem. You see, you can go on a trip with me without a problem."

"Really? I will get to visit Serenity? Your the best, dragon." And with that Seto gets a little kiss from his Puppy but can't help to say then: "So about the coming part."

"Good night." Was all he got as an answer and Seto chuckled again and pulled his Puppy into his arms, to at least cuddle a bit. But before either one could fall asleep, he said "Shit."

"What?" Joey muttered.

"I still haven't given you the grand tour of this place, I mean you live here and don't even know the place yet."

Joey chuckled this time and said "I know bed, bath and most importantly the dining room, I'll survive another night. Don't worry."

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**Please review and we're almost at the end but don't worry Joey is still going to get mostly fixed up with his leg. **


	22. Chapter 21

Thanks for the reviews to Ria Everwood and Sasu-Sama' Sarukiji-Sempai

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**Chapter 21**

The first week for Joey at home went without any problems or at least Seto didn't see any. His little Puppy went to work a few hours a day with Yugi and Yami and he could go to Kaiba corp. and get all of his business meetings out of the way. And Seto did his paper work on his laptop, while Joey had his therapies or was reading or did some other stuff, like using the gaming systems Mokuba had to leave behind. His little college apartment wasn't big enough for all of them, so he left the older ones behind, which where still better than anything Joey had ever had for himself. By now Joey had gotten his grand tour and even the dinner Seto had planed for the first night. And they hadn't had another fight yet.

But Seto did notice that Joey was a bit down every now and then but assumed that it was normal, given the circumstances and didn't try to cheer him up too much but rather distract him a little with little gifts he got him. He would buy his Puppy something small every day. Nothing but just some flowers or a little cuddly toy, like a plush red eye black dragon. Or a nice key ring with a picture frame in it, or a nice little piece of jewellery. He enjoyed to surprise his Puppy with a small thing every day and to see a little smile on his face. Still he noticed that he was rather down and wondered if he should talk to him about it.

By Friday it seemed necessary, he was more down than any of the days before when he picked him up from the game shop, to go straight to the airport. So he asked: "Did something happen today? You look so down."

"How do you expect me to feel?" He asked, looking at his leg.

Seto sighed and said "Down, all right. I understand that it's everything but easy, okay I probably can't understand how hard.. but I was hoping to rather get better but today seems to be worse than the rest of the week was and I had been hoping that our trip would have you rather exited. So I wondered, why you're still so extremely down? That's why I ask." Seto hoped that Joey would understand him and not think him to be a jerk, like most people always did, no matter what he did. Granted, half the time he wouldn't care or even wanted to be a jerk to them but even when he tried to be nice, he just never could find the right words.

"Sorry if I'm a bit snappy but... just forget it, lets go and see Serenity and Mokuba. Can't wait to get there." Joey said, looking even more down. Seto didn't really want to forget, so he said: "You have nothing to be sorry for my love, but I don't think I can just forget it. Since I like to know what's going on in your life but if you don't want to talk about it, then it's fine." Seto said and put an arm around his shoulder and pulled him closer and added "But maybe I have something that might cheer you up a tiny bit."

Joey smiled a little and said "Let me guess, another present?"

"And I hoped I could surprise you. How did you know?"

"I get one every day. You do realise you don't have to go through all the trouble, right?"

"I know I don't have to but it's not trouble, on the contrary it's the most enjoyable thing I get to do all day. First, thinking about how I might be able to get a little smile on your face and already imagining it, then going and get it myself, picking it and the best part is giving it to you and see the little smile on your face and your eyes role like you want to say 'You're gonna spoil me rotten'"

"I never thought that. I think 'I wonder how long it takes for him to either go over board with it or quit' , since the presents get a little more expensive looking each day. Even if it's still just small things."

"I hadn't noticed that but you truly are right about it. I still hope you'll like it."

"Don't I always? So what did you get me today?"

Seto pulled out a small box and gave it to him. As Joey opened it, he found a wristband made of two kinds of metal, one was white the other coloured black. They where shaped into one dragon, each the tails were interwoven and were a hinge to open it. And one would go to white side around his wrist and the heads meet next to one another on the opposite side of the hinge, in the head of each where tiny little coloured stones. Nothing fancy, just a plain stone but on the white one were blue stones and the black dragon had red ones. It looked like their dragons.

"Where did you find this?"

"Secret." Seto said amused. He had it made but knew that telling his puppy this might make him mad for spending too much. Which is the only reason that it wasn't with ruby and saphire eyes. And to distract him he asked: "Do you like it?"

"No, I love it. It looks like our dragons." He smiled a little for a while but not for long. Seto kept wondering what might have happened and if it was something that happened at work?

As soon as he had a moment alone, while Joey went to the toilet before boarding the plane, he phoned Yugi and asked if he knew the reasons for his little Puppy's depression.

"I think it has to do with the visit from Duke today." Yugi said. "He was alone. since Tristan didn't want to come. He didn't know what to say and how to talk to Joey and Duke actually told Joey that this was the reason for him not to come and to rather avoid Joey until his leg is fine again and to top it up Duke was treating Joey like a baby, that can't do anything on his own. Joey had looked pissed at the end but hadn't said a word. I think he didn't want to hurt his feelings either. I'll talk to Duke while you guys are gone and to Tristan too."

"I hope so. I don't want my Puppy to be all down every time Duke shows, but I've got to hang up. Joey can be back any second and I don't want him to feel like I'm spying on him. See ya." And with that he ended the call.

Seto could just hope that Yugi could stop Duke from smothering Joey somehow. It must be so annoying to be smothered and treated like a helpless baby by your friends. Seto saw Joey coming back and just smiled at him. And they went for the plane. It was really easy to get Joey in, they had a small sort of truck that had a ramp and he could get in the back and then the whole thing would lift him up and a door opened. And the ramp out to the plane too. And he was on a special smaller chair, with just small wheels and no armrests and he was pushed through the door of the plane and to the chair.

During the flight Seto tried to distract his still depressed Puppy by asking what he wanted to do during the weekend? If he had any wishes and also he had plenty of snacks for the always hungry Joey. He also had some entertainment in form from video games and movies.

Once landed, Joey got out the same way he got in and they left the airport soon after and headed for the hotel Seto had booked. But once they reached the hotel they had a little problem. Or lets say eight little problems, in form of eight steps that led the way to the hotel entrance. Seto glared daggers at them for a moment. He had phoned them and they had assured him that all rooms could be reached and were spacious enough and there would be no reason why a wheelchair user couldn't stay at their hotel, and now THAT.

He just said to Joey, without even looking at him and more or less through clenched teeth: "Would you excuse me for a moment? I'm just going to ask them something."

Joey watched after Seto, as he climbed the steps furiously and said: "Don't kill anyone, please."

Seto walked right up to the reception and said, sounding and looking like he wanted to kill the next person that would cross his way: "I booked a room over the phone for me and my boyfriend, who is currently in a wheelchair due to an accident and I was assured he could get in."

"Of course, that is no problem." the woman there said.

"Then tell me how to get him in." Seto just said, still steaming since his little Puppy had to wait outside alone and that after already having been so down all day. And it was late. They had decided to stay a bit longer, since it's a long flight and the weekend would have been a bit short but still. Joey must be exhausted and Seto didn't want to waste any more time.

The woman looked confused and said: "Just right through the door."

Seto looked at her in disbelieve, was she for real? Does she not know that there are steps? Or does she not get that Joey couldn't possibly just walk through a door that has 8 steps in front of it? She wasn't even blond for crying out loud. "There are steps." Seto just pointed out, hoping that she was joking and would tell him another entrance that would be more suitable. But all she said was "So?"

"SO? You really can ask THAT? THERE ARE STEPS, YOU STUPID INCOMPETENT FOOL! HOW THE HELL IS HE SUPPOSED TO GET PAST EIGHT FLIPPING STEPS IN A WHEELCHAIR?" Seto screamed out in fury, he wanted to have a nice relaxing weekend with his Puppy and now this.. How stupid could one woman be?

The manager heard the screaming and came asking "What happened? Maybe I can be of service?" "What happened? I booked a room on the phone and ASKED, if my boyfriend who is in a wheelchair, can stay in this hotel and now this!"

"I don't see where the problem is." The manager said and Seto just wondered if there wasn't anyone working at this place that had any brains?

"The problem are THE EIGHT FLIPPING STEPS, HE CAN'T GET UP! THATS THE PROBLEM!"

At least the manager seemed to understand now and said: "Oh my, that is a problem but no worries. We can fix that, I just get some people to carry him up. We'll be out in a second, and have some one posted at the entrance, no worries."

Seto looked at him threateningly and said: "Let him have to wait outside on his own so I can come in one more time and I swear to god you'll regret the day you were born! Do you understand?"

The man looked at Seto, who's voice was now quiet again, without any hint of emotion. Just cold and hard and the man gulped hard, before saying "It won't happen again."

Seto went out and he wasn't even down the steps as 4 other came out, dressed in the uniform the workers of the hotel were wearing and they carried Joey up and apologised for the inconvenience to him as well. Joey just brushed it off and said it wasn't a problem but Seto continued to stare daggers at everyone of the hotel.

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Authors note: Some of you might now say no one is THAT stupid as the woman at the reception but believe me there ARE such people out there and a friend of mine MET some of them for that was inspired by an experience of her on a class trip, so trust me that CAN happen! Unbelievable as it seems, there are people out there that are THAT stupid! I have even more stories like that from her and due to my father who is in a wheelchair since he had a stroke, too. So trust me, that isn't even one single example of one single blond moment. No, I have actually still one that is worse there were at least 4 people that blond and all with the same thing, so trust me. This IS possible, maybe not in a 5 star hotel or at least I hope not there but in a normal hotel or a lot of other places IT IS!


	23. Chapter 22 THE END

Thanks for the reviews of the last chapter to Sasu-Sama' Sarukiji-Sempai and Ria Everwood.

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Chapter 22

Seto still couldn't believe what happened at the hotel. The holiday was over and the rest of it had worked without any more problems and Joey had been carried in and out of the hotel every time they got near the door. Always with an extremely pissed off CEO, glaring daggers at everyone working at the hotel. Always with him pointing out that the wheelchair is custom made and extremely expensive and they better not even get a single scratch on it or they would have to pay it off for the rest of their miserable lives. Not to even mention what he would do, if they would as much as leave one hair out of place on his little Puppy. Truth be told, the employees only got close to either one when lifting Joey up the steps, other than that they stayed clear of them as much as possible. They were terrified by Seto.

But apart from the hotel, they had a great time. Joey and Seto went out everyday, to explore the area and in the evenings they went out with Mokuba and Serenity. They had been to the cinema as well as night clubs. And Joey had a lot of fun and was in a better mood by the time they were going back. But during the flight his mood fell again. Seto could do nothing but watch him and hold him. Joey hadn't want to talk to him before, so he doubted he would now. All he could do was hope that Yugi had talked to Duke and Tristan and that it had helped a bit.

But during that evening Seto found out that it was maybe not necessary any more. For Joey had made up his mind about the operation already. He asked as the two were cuddling in each others arms, "Seto, do you think you could use your money to get me a good doc, so my leg will get fixed better? I can't stand it now. I want it fixed and soon and as good as possible. I try to pay you back one day but.. please." Seto just grins at him and says: "Why? You´re almost as rich as I am." Joey stares and Seto knew he hadn't look at his bank account since he had put the money on it for him, just before the car accident.

"I'M WHAT?" He screamed after a while and adde a "HOW?"

Seto just smiled at him and said: "Before the accident happened I put a little something on your account to make sure you would have enough for everything you might need."

He looked sceptically and said: "How much is a little something, because from a little something I CAN'T be NEARLY as rich as you. Not even close."

"Not too much, just about half of the money I had back then. Plenty to buy this place about 20 times over. I thought that should be enough for the start."

Joey stared at Seto with wide eyes and then said: "Okay, I´ll use that to fix my leg and then send the rest back your way, at least most of it. I'm not a damned gold digger and don't need that kind of money anyway, so keep it."

Seto smiled and said: "You know, that is exactly why I didn't want you to know how I am at the start. But I can always send it back to you and I will send it right back. And I have a reason. We´re not married nor otherwise related, which means if anything was to happen to me you would have nothing left. I mean from my stuff, it would all go to Mokuba. And I write down my last will, Mokuba could try to go to curt and still get everything if he talks them into believing that you´re a gold digger. I doubt he will, especially considering who he is dating but still if he gets into a fight with Serenity, he might let it out on you and I'm not willing to risk that. But what I give to you now, he could never get back and that's why I want you to have the money. So please, if you don't want it, don't use it but keep it."

"Do I have to?" Joey said with a pout. "I don't feel comfortable with taking so much money."

"Please do it for me. It would make me so happy." Joey rolled his eyes but still said: "Fine, but don't even believe for a second that I start a lifestyle like you do, moneybags. I still run around in my usual cheap clothes and don't you dare buy me others."

"Since when do you call me moneybags again?" Seto asked surprised.

"Since I get the feeling, that I need to make the point that I don't want to look like a show off rich guy like you!" Joey said with a smile on his face.

"Show off? You think I'm a show off?" Seto asked, also still smiling.

"Let me think, you've got this HUGE place, your cologne costs more than the rent for the place I used to share with Kai, I doubt you have even one piece of clothing that doesn't have a name on it, you walk around like you own the world, you've got the unbelievable amount of 10 fancy sport cars oh and let´s not forget, you have TWO limousines. So I'd say, yes you're a show off."

"I'm afraid you got two things wrong. First, there are three limousines parked somewhere around here but only one is on my name, the second on Mokuba's and the new one on yours..."

"The new one on WHAT?" Joey interrupted.

"May I finish before we discus that matter? Thanks. Second, I do have one piece of clothing that doesn't have a name on it. At least I think that the 'I love Puppy's- Boxer shorts' Mokuba once found somewhere and bought me, is still somewhere in the very back of my drawer."

With that the matter of the new limousine was forgotten and Joey was laughing his head off.

"Go, get it. I have to see it." he said, adding: "And put it on, go." Seto stood up to get it but refused to put it on. It was a plain black boxer with a pink print, saying I *heart* Puppy's and a golden retriever Puppy face with a pink tongue hanging out it's mouth on the front. Joey was laughing about it for hours.

And on the next day Joey went straight to the hospital, talking to the doctors and organising to get his leg operated as soon as possible.

Unfortunately it took four operations, since the first three weren't as successful as Joey had hoped. Seto hadn't liked that Joey had taken that risk of getting it worse every single time but didn't try to talk him out of it. It was his life and his choice in the end and he would have to except it. And he did, with a worried look on his face and a few people getting fired in his company to let off some of his frustration.

And even after the last operation it took a long time and a lot of practice until he could walk again, even if he was still with a limp. But he learned to walk again, together with Seto by his side supporting and helping him every step of the way.

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**Authors note:** I know I rushed through there at the end but I sort of ran short of ideas how to end it best with the leg and all and have two more good and funny storys in my head, one of which I will leave Seto in his character till the very end and not let him get all lovey dovie once he's in love (even so I love making him get a change of heart once he´s in love. I'm just the romantic kind) and it will be so funny. A bit different to my other storys but I hope you'll enjoy it and will have a laugh with it. Anyway, I might rewrite the end if I ever get some idea for it but it's not like me to just stop a story or even wait for ages to finish it. I'm a fast writer and don't like leaving something unfinished for a while, so I rather gave you a rushed ending than letting you wait for months. Hope that's okay but like I said, I might get back to it once the inspiration hits me again. I hope you still enjoy my randomness in this one with his leg and all. I jst wanted to put the funny little story that has been inspired by my friend in here, since I still can't believe that someone can be THAT stupid! Originally when I started the story I had planed to let Mokie eventually tell Joey, but I thought this was more fun.

**Please review and I'm still open for requests to rewrite some part from a different POV but it might take a bit until I get around to it but I promise to do my best to do every request as good as I can.**

**And thanks for all the reviews so far as well as the coming ones.  
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